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The determination of the "meaning" of the spheres of law and art seem to run into contrary directions. On the one hand, "law" demands direct and unconditional validity of the normative expectations it formulates for society as a whole. "Art", on the other hand, raises an increasingly individualized claim to validity, seeking to interpret and represent the world with reference to historically variable "beauty", freed from practical applications, moralistic and religious prescriptions and political exploitation. If we dare to relate law and the arts, we should be aware of the possible danger arising from the commingling of their respective spheres - and yet there are many insights to be gained from confronting them in philosophical-sociological reflection. As the broad topical variety of contributions on literature, visual arts, film, music, and architecture in this volume serves to show, we are thus learning about law from art and acquiring a deeper understanding of the peculiarity of the arts from law.

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Dr. Werner Gephart ist Professor am Seminar für Soziologie der Universität Bonn.

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