Abstract

This article gives a concise overview on developments in German legal philosophy since 1990. After briefly sketching the previous streams, dating back to 1945, it focuses on current tendencies and topics. Three main debates are reported in detail, namely the debates on the structure of legal argumentation, on the structure of the legal system, and on Radbruch’s Formula. This includes, inter alia, Robert Alexy’s new theory of balancing as well as the debate on the role of logic in legal reasoning. Overall, the article introduces the main protagonists and schools as well as their respective advantages, drawbacks, and challenges.