Kafka and Kelsen: rhetoric, law, and the politics of legal form

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14220%2F25%3A00142638" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14220/25:00142638 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17521483.2025.2518790" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1080/17521483.2025.2518790</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17521483.2025.2518790" target="_blank" >10.1080/17521483.2025.2518790</a>

Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Kafka and Kelsen: rhetoric, law, and the politics of legal form
Original language description
This paper examines the affinities between Franz Kafka and Hans Kelsen, focusing on their shared critique of ideology and the dynamics of law and authority. Through an analysis of The Trial and Kelsen’s Pure Theory of Law, it highlights their mutual engagement with the paradox of law as simultaneously omnipresent and unattainable. Particular attention is given to their rhetorical strategies such as humour and metaphors which illuminate their critical stance toward the reification of law. Kafka’s literary critique of legal absurdity parallels Kelsen’s efforts to expose the ideological underpinnings of legal structures. The paper analyses the proximity between these two figures, showing how their distinct methods converge on a shared concern with law’s legitimacy, form, and ideological function. By juxtaposing their works, it offers a nuanced, emancipatory critique of legal systems that balances authority with individual freedom.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50501 - Law

Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

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