Second Conversation with Professor Gerald Postema

Professor Gerald Postema was the Arthur Goodhart Visiting Professor in Legal Science for 2013-2014. He was interviewed initially in January 2014 in the Squire Law Library, while the present interview was held on June 30th 2014. Professor Postema looks back favourably over his teaching activities while in the Goodhart Chair. He also speaks of his researches into the papers of Sir Matthew Hale, on which he bases part of his Boutwood Lecture at Corpus Christi college. In particular, he elaborates on Hale’s interesting concept of Potestas Irritans, and how his research on Hale led him to the works of the 17th century Spanish legal philosopher Francisco Suárez. Professor Postema also gives some details of new insights into his long standing research into the writings and ideas of Jeremy Bentham.

For more information, see the Squire website at http://www.squire.law.cam.ac.uk/eminent_scholars/