LEGAL THEORIST
1881–1973

Hans Kelsen was a legal theorist, best known for his writings on international law and for his creation of the concept of a Constitutional Court. Kelsen was born in Prague in 1881, but his Jewish, German-speaking family soon moved to Vienna, Austria, where he completed his education through his doctorate in law. His interests were always broad, encompassing the humanities and classics, particularly philosophy. Early in his academic career, he became interested in public law and was appointed as an instructor in public law and philosophy of law at the University of Vienna, eventually rising to full professor of public and administrative law.

Kelsen's explorations in philosophy of law led him to reject the theory of natural law and that of legal positivism. Rather, he adopted a theory of law that argued that the legitimacy of law relied on universal accepted truths. His significant contributions...