Matterphorics

In Matterphorics (Duke University Press) Gandorfer rethinks how legal theory understands the relationship between abstract concepts and the material world. She argues that law must account for the instability, interdependence, and complexity of matter, rather than organizing reality through predetermined categories. To develop this approach, Gandorfer examines a series of contemporary legal problems such as space exploration, Red Bull’s high-altitude freefalls, seabed mining, and the ownership of DNA. These examples reveal the difficulties that arise when existing legal concepts encounter emerging technologies and large-scale planetary change. Gandorfer makes the call for a more flexible conception of legal practice: one that is capable of producing new conceptual frameworks as humanity, technologies, and environments evolve.