Video Online: Visiocracy and Grammatology of Images

On April 6th, Peter Goodrich (Cardozo School of Law) and Sigrid Weigel (visiting professor at the Princeton German Department) met at Princeton University to discuss procedures that visualize phenomena and elude the visible: While Goodrich put emphasis on the legal authority and justice, Weigel focussed on emotions, thoughts, and the transcendental.

Peter Goodrich and Sigrid Weigel both introduced their concepts, followed by dialogue and finally an open discussion with the audience.

In terms of law, it can be concluded that images – the visual in general – plays a major role in shaping and reshaping the legal landscape, law and justice. Once again, it remains crucial to look beyond the written text, the legal manuscripts and codes, the words of law.

Further readings:

• Peter Goodrich, Legal Emblems and the Art of Law: Obiter Depicta As the Vision of Governance (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
• Genealogies of Legal Vision (Peter Goodrich and Valérie Hayaert eds., Routledge, 2015).
• Sigrid Weigel, Grammatologie der Bilder (Suhrkamp, 2015).