'Ought implies Can' and the law. Issue 4 (19th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fox, Chris; Feis, Guglielmo
• Is Part Of: Inquiry. Volume 61:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 370
• Page End: 393
• Publication Date: 2018-05-19
• Subjects: Ought implies can -- OIC -- meta-norms -- iterated modalities -- law -- legal drafting -- pragmatics -- semantics -- Kelsen -- Hart -- von Wright; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social Sciences -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; Philosophie -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Philosophie -- Périodiques; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/0020174X.2017.1371873
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-174X

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the 'ought implies can' (OIC) thesis, focusing on explanations and interpretations of OIC, with a view to clarifying its uses and relevance to legal philosophy. We first review various issues concerning the semantics and pragmatics of OIC; then we consider how OIC may be incorporated in Hartian and Kelsenian theories of the law. Along the way we also propose a taxonomy of OIC-related claims.