Natural Law and Human Dignity

Ernst Bloch (1885-1977), one of the most original and influential of contemporaryEuropean thinkers and a founder of the Frankfurt School, has left his mark on a range of fields fromphilosophy and social theory to aesthetics and theology. Natural Law and Human Dignity, the first ofhis major works to appear in English is unique in its attempt to get beyond the usual oppositionsbetween the natural law and social utopian traditions, providing basic insights on the question ofhuman rights in a socialist society. Natural Law and Human Dignity is a sweeping yet synthetic workthat critically reviews the great legal philosophies, from Plato to the present, in order to uncoverand clarify the normative features of true socialism. Along the way it offers thoughtful reflectionson topics as diverse as the abolition of poverty and degradation, the nature of the state, and theinstallation of freedom and dignity.Taking the idea of natural law as his guiding thread, Blochargues that revolution and right, rather than being antagonistic, are fundamentally interconnected.With their emphasis on human dignity, the traditions of natural law have an irreplaceablecontribution to make to the socialist vision of a more humane society. In his effort to wed thedemands of law and right to the agenda of social revolution, Bloch offers a radical restructuring ofour understanding of the social world. This rethinking of the fundamental principles of politicalphilosophy is the product of a long personal and philosophical odyssey. Bloch lived as a writer inMunich, Bern, and Berlin until he was forced to emigrate to Czechoslovakia and then to the UnitedStates during World War 11. After the war he returned to East Germany, where he held a chair inphilosophy at the University of Leipzig. He emigrated to the west as the Berlin Wall was being built(carrying the manuscript of this book under his arm), and he taught at the University of Tubingenuntil his death. Natural Law and Human Dignity is included in the series Studies in ContemporaryGerman Social Thought, edited by Thomas McCarthy.