[Ads-l] Antedating of "Realist" (Legal/Political Meaning) and Inclusion of "Legal Realist"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Sun May 18 20:02:23 UTC 2025


realist (OED, 3.c., 1930)

1920 Charles E. Merriam American Political Ideas 391  He [Frank J. Goodnow] was neither a legal realist nor a political idealist, but represented the best type of opportunist in theory and in practice.

NOTE:  The OED does not have any entry for the term "legal realist," but that is a very important term in legal scholarship and should be included in the OED.  The citation above is the best first use I can find.

Fred Shapiro


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