Perspective

H. L. A. Hart's perspective in The Concept of Law consists of two major elements: first, Hart is what is often called an "analytic" philosopher; second, Hart's perspective is constituted by his particular views as expressed in the book. An analytic philosopher typically refers to that group of (largely) Anglo-American philosophers heavily influenced by the concise, mathematical methodologies of mathematics and the natural sciences.

Many see analytic philosophy as focused primarily on the analysis of words, but this is not correct, tying analytic philosophy to a group of philosophers known as ordinary language philosophy. While it is true that Hart is influenced by ordinary language philosophers, he is perfectly comfortable talking about metaphysical and epistemological concepts beyond the terms that represent them and their meanings. Hart is also heavily influenced by a number of important historical jurists like Austin and Bentham that long predate analytic philosophy.

While there...