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58 S. Cal. L. Rev. 277 (1985)
A Natural Law Theory of Interpretation

handle is hein.journals/scal58 and id is 297 raw text is: ARTICLES A NATURAL LAW THEORY OF INTERPRETATION MICHAEL S. MOORE I. THE ROLE OF ORDINARY MEANING ........... 288 A. THE MEANING OF MEANING .................... 288 1. The Nature of a Theory of Meaning ........... 288 2. Conventionalist and Realist Theories of Meaning.. 291 B. COMMON SKEPTICISMS ABOUT WORDS HAVING M EANINGS ............................... 301 1. Functionalism ........................... 302 2. Contextualism ............................ 304 3. Vagueness .............................. 307 4. General Epistemological Skepticism ............ 309 C. THE MORAL CASE FOR ORDINARY MEANINGS ..... 313 1. The Relevant Values by Which to Adjudicate Between Competing Theories of Interpretation .... 313 a. The rule of law virtues ................... 313 i. Separation ofpowers................ 314 ii. Equality andformaljustice ............ 316 iii. Liberty and notice ................... 316 iv. Substantive fairness .................. 317 v. Proceduralfairness ................. 317 vi. Utility and efficient adjudication ........ 318 b. Consequentialist virtues .................. 318 2. The Prima Facie Desirability of Looking to the Ordinary Meanings of Words in Legal Texts ..... 320 D. THE MORAL CASE FOR THE REALIST THEORY OF M EANING ............................... 322 1. Natural Kind Terms of Ordinary Speech ........ 322 2. Specially Defined Statutory Terms ............. 328 II. THE ROLE OF INTENTION .................... 338

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