"The Origins of 'The Rule of Law'" — Jeremy Kessler converses with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen (Part 2)

"The Origins of 'The Rule of Law'" — Jeremy Kessler converses with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen (Part 2)

From The Baldy Center Podcast by The Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy

May 7, 2025 · 43 min

About this episode

The episode features a discussion on the evolution of the concept of 'rule of law' and its implications in legal theory and governance.

Episode 47 of The Baldy Center Podcast features Jeremy Kessler in conversation with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen. They discuss Kessler’s paper, “The Origins of ‘The Rule of Law,’” delving into early 17th-century England and tracing the conceptual shift of “rule of law” from procedural common law usage to a broader theory of political governance. In Part One, they discuss how legal language, economic change, and historical interpretation intersect to shape legal ideologies still relevant today. In Part Two they dive deeper into legal theory, the tensions between classical liberalism and reform, the autonomy of law and the state, and materialist approaches to understanding legal history. This two-part episode presents a rigorous analysis of foundational questions about how the rule of law persists and evolves within capitalist systems.

People in this episode

Host: Jeremy Kessler

Guests: Matthew Steilen, Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek

Topics covered

  • rule of law
  • legal theory
  • political governance
  • classical liberalism
  • legal history

Keywords

  • rule of law
  • legal ideologies
  • 17th-century England
  • economic change
  • materialist approaches

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Origins of ‘The Rule of Law’

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