Description
Book Synopsis: A fascinating account of how the law determines or dismantles identity and personhood. Abused dogs, prisoners tortured in Guantánamo and supermax facilities, or slaves killed by the state—all are deprived of personhood through legal acts. Such deprivations have recurred throughout history, and the law sustains these terrors and banishments even as it upholds the civil order.
Examining such troubling cases, The Law Is a White Dog tackles key societal questions: How does the law construct our identities? How do its rules and sanctions make or unmake persons? And how do the supposedly rational claims of the law define marginal entities, both natural and supernatural, including ghosts, dogs, slaves, terrorist suspects, and felons? Reading the language, allusions, and symbols of legal discourse, and bridging distinctions between the human and nonhuman, Colin Dayan looks at how the law disfigures individuals and animals, and how slavery, punishment, and torture create unforeseen effects in our daily lives.
Moving seamlessly across genres and disciplines, Dayan considers legal practices and spiritual beliefs from medieval England, the North American colonies, and the Caribbean that have survived in our legal discourse, and she explores the civil deaths of felons and slaves through lawful repression. Tracing the legacy of slavery in the United States in the structures of the contemporary American prison system and in the administrative detention of ghostly supermax facilities, she also demonstrates how contemporary jurisprudence regarding cruel and unusual punishment prepared the way for abuses in Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo.
Using conventional historical and legal sources to answer unconventional questions, The Law Is a White Dog illuminates stark truths about civil society's ability to marginalize, exclude, and dehumanize.
Details
Discover the fascinating world of legal rituals and how they shape and reshape our identities with "The Law Is a White Dog". This thought-provoking book dives deep into the ways in which the law determines who we are, and sometimes even tears us apart. From abused dogs to tortured prisoners, author Colin Dayan explores how legal acts strip individuals and animals of their personhood, perpetuating terrifying acts of dehumanization.
The Law Is a White Dog delves into critical social questions, challenging us to consider how the law constructs our identities and the power it holds over our lives. Dayan examines the language, symbols, and allusions of legal discourse, highlighting the boundaries between the human and nonhuman. Prepare to be captivated as she uncovers the unexpected effects that slavery, punishment, and torture have on our daily lives.
This groundbreaking book transcends genres and disciplines, drawing upon historical and legal sources to shed light on unconventional topics. Journey through medieval England, the North American colonies, and the Caribbean as Dayan reveals how past legal practices and spiritual beliefs have shaped contemporary legal discourse. Explore the concept of civil death for felons and slaves, and how their repression echoes in the modern American prison system and supermax facilities.
The Law Is a White Dog also exposes the dark underbelly of contemporary jurisprudence, demonstrating how our understanding of cruel and unusual punishment has paved the way for the abuses witnessed in Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo. Through meticulous research and compelling analysis, Dayan invites readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about our society's ability to marginalize, exclude, and dehumanize.
Get ready to challenge your perspective on the law and society with "The Law Is a White Dog". Embrace the opportunity to understand the complexities of legal rituals and their impact on human and animal lives. Don't miss out on this eye-opening journey - get your copy today!
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