b. 1942
Margaret Jane Radin is a contemporary legal philosopher and property theorist best known for her work linking property to personal identity and her critique of commodification. She has held professorships at Stanford Law School and the University of Michigan, where she developed influential theories on when market exchange is inappropriate or harmful. Her scholarship integrates feminist jurisprudence, pragmatist philosophy, and property law.
Developed the 'property and personhood' theory, arguing that property integral to personal identity warrants heightened legal protection
Authored Contested Commodities (1996), a foundational analysis of the limits of market exchange for goods like sex, body parts, and children
Authored Boilerplate (2013), examining how standard-form contracts erode consumer rights and democratic governance
Contributed to feminist legal theory on gender inequality in economic and political access
Pioneered early legal scholarship on cyberspace property and Internet governance