Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Academic Blogs -> Legal Theory Blog

Academic

: Legal Theory Blog

Powell on the Relational Concept of Security

By Lawrence Solum

Rhonda Louise Powell (University of Oxford - Faculty of Law) has posted The Relational Concept of Security on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

The aim of this article is to analyse the most significant and interesting characteristics of the concept of security. The concept of liberty has been discussed at length. It is therefore surprising to find that the concept of security, which is often engaged in discussions on liberty, has largely escaped analytical attention. There are two main aspects of the concept of security which will be focused upon. Firstly, that the concept of security is a largely procedural concept that links things of value with things which threaten them or put them at risk. Security itself has very little independent content. Secondly, it will be suggested that security has two main dimensions which cannot be separated, one of condition (the absence of threats and risks) and one of process (the provision of protection against threats and risks). These two themes are reflected in the various other aspects of the concept which are discussed, including: that one's security is affected by both threats and risks; that security has subjective (I feel secure) and objective (I am free of risks and threats and there is a method of protection available) dimensions; who and what can have security interests; and the wide range of values to which the concept of security potentially attaches (i.e. what we can "secure").

Full post as published by Legal Theory Blog on February 19, 2009 (boomark / email).