Jeremy Waldron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeremy Waldron
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Waldron in 2010
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| Born | 13 October 1953 |
| Alma mater | University of Otago (BA, LLB) Lincoln College, Oxford (DPhil) |
| Partner(s) | Carol Sanger |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic Legal positivism |
| Doctoral advisor | Ronald Dworkin Alan Ryan |
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Main interests
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Legal philosophy |
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Notable ideas
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Criticism of judicial review The harm in hate speech lies in its defamatory nature Hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment |
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Influences
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Jeremy Waldron (born October 13, 1953) is a smart thinker from New Zealand. He studies law and how societies should be run. He is a professor at New York University School of Law, teaching about law and philosophy. He also used to teach at Oxford University in England. Many people consider him one of the best thinkers in the world about law and how governments should work.
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Early Life and Education
Jeremy went to Southland Boys' High School in New Zealand. After that, he studied at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He earned degrees in arts and law there.
Later, he went to Oxford University in England for his advanced degree. This degree is called a D.Phil. His teachers were famous thinkers like Ronald Dworkin and Alan Ryan. He finished his studies in 1986.
Teaching and Lectures
Jeremy Waldron has taught at many famous universities around the world. He taught about law and political ideas at places like the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Berkeley Law in the United States. He also taught at Princeton University and Columbia Law School.
At New York University, he teaches about important ideas like the Rule of Law. This means that everyone, including governments, must follow the law. He also teaches about Jurisprudence, which is the study of law itself. He often hosts a special discussion group where people talk about legal, social, and political ideas.
Professor Waldron has given many important lectures at top universities. These include Cambridge University, Oxford, Columbia, Stanford University, and Yale Law School. In 2015, he gave the Gifford Lectures at the University of Edinburgh. These lectures are very famous for discussing religion and philosophy.
Because of his important work, he was chosen to be part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1998. In 2005, his old university, the University of Otago, gave him an honorary doctorate. This is a special award for his achievements. In 2019, the University of Otago even created a special teaching position named after him.
His Ideas on Law and Society
Jeremy Waldron is known for his ideas about how laws should work in a free society. He is a liberal thinker. This means he believes in individual rights and freedoms. He is also a legal positivist. This idea says that laws are rules made by humans, not by nature or a higher power.
He has written a lot about private property. This is the idea that people can own things like land or houses. He also studies the ideas of John Locke, a famous philosopher from the past.
Views on Important Issues
Waldron has strong opinions on several important topics:
- Judicial Review: He does not agree with judicial review of laws. This is when courts can decide if a law passed by a government is fair or follows the constitution. He thinks this can go against democratic principles.
- Torture: He is strongly against torture. He believes it is wrong and goes against democratic values.
- Hate Speech: He believes that hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment in the United States. The First Amendment usually protects freedom of speech. However, Waldron argues that hate speech is harmful and can be like defamation, which means damaging someone's reputation.
- Human Dignity: Much of his recent work focuses on human dignity. He believes that all people have a high value and deserve respect, simply because they are human. He wrote a book called Dignity, Rank and Rights about this idea.
Judicial Minimalism
Jeremy Waldron supports an idea called "judicial minimalism." This means that judges should be careful and not try to change laws too much when they make decisions. He thinks judges should focus on solving the specific case in front of them, rather than trying to make big new rules for everyone. He has pointed to judges like Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Ginsburg as examples of this approach.
Personal Life
Jeremy Waldron's longtime partner is Carol Sanger. She is also a professor at Columbia Law School.
