Heidi Hurd is an American legal philosopher and criminal law theorist, currently at the University of Illinois College of Law. She is best known for her book 'Moral Combat: The Dilemma of Legal Perspectivalism' (1999), which examines conflicts between moral and legal obligations. Her work spans philosophy of law, criminal law theory, and the ethics of authority and autonomy.
Developed the 'moral combat' thesis examining dilemmas when legal and moral obligations conflict
Defended a justification-right account of legitimate legal authority
Contributed influential analyses of autonomy and its role in limiting state authority
Advanced scholarship on the moral foundations of criminal law and punishment
Co-authored foundational work on complicity and vicarious liability in criminal theory
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