Harold J. Berman (1918-2007)

Harold J. Berman, author of the magisterial Law and Revolution, passed away last week. Berman’s pioneering work on legal pluralism has been carried on by Bruce Benson and Ed Stringham, among others. “Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the Western legal tradition,” writes Berman, “is the coexistence and competition within the same community of diverse legal systems. It is this plurality of jurisdictions and legal systems that makes the supremacy of law both necessary and possible.” (HT: Don Boudreaux)