Legal Theory (7th Edition, Revised, Expanded, and Updated)

RABBI-BALDI CABANILLAS, RENATO

Legal Theory

7th edition, revised, updated, and expanded (2026)

557 pages.

August 2026.

The question regarding the meaning of law has long engaged all cultures, as it touches upon the very place of the human being in social life. Consequently, addressing this question is as indispensable as it is unavoidable—particularly when considering the deprivation of certain "unwritten" goods inherent to the person, or the tragedy of "extreme injustice." Against this backdrop, this work combines an analytical and empirical perspective—centered on legislation and case law—with a historical and normative framework to examine classic topics in legal theory: the person as the foundation of law, the tension between positivism and natural law, sources of law, systematic structure, interpretation, and theories of justice.

The approach outlined here suggests that the meaning of the legal realm is reached through a dialogic process in which practical reason discerns traces of the inviolable nature of the person amidst the relativity of different historical eras.

In this new, revised, updated, and expanded edition, the author delves deeper into the contemporary debate regarding the status of the embryo, incorporating recent legislative proposals and case law developments on the subject. It also integrates regulations and reflections arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, Laws 27610 and 27611, and an exhaustive analysis of current challenges in bioethics. In recognition of his academic career, it is worth noting that the author has been appointed a full member of the National Academy of Law and Social Sciences of Buenos Aires. The work—which received the 2010 *Accésit* Award from that institution—stands as an essential tool for understanding the relevance and meaning of law today.