The Centre

 The Perelman Centre for Legal Philosophy of the Free University of Brussels (ULB) was founded in 1967 by Henri Buch, Paul Foriers and Chaïm Perelman, and became part of the Faculty of Law in 1982. Its history is linked to the Brussels School, born of the fruitful confluence of the observation of judicial practice with the new rhetoric of Perelman. Following in the footsteps of the Brussels School, the Centre developed its activities through a respect for the principles of “free examination” and with a triple commitment to excellence, independence and international and transdisciplinary openness.

 The Centre works to accommodate all high-level scientific research in an academic framework. Its principal objective is to promote collective and individual research in the domain of legal philosophy in a broad sense. This incorporates, notably, the theory of rights and legal methodology, legal logic and legal rhetoric, natural rights, legal and political philosophy, and, more generally, all aspects of practical reasoning connected to law.

 The Centre organises, alone or in cooperation with others, numerous local and international scientific events. It is situated at the crossroads of Belgian interuniversity research, and boasts several links that have developed over the span of years with the Universities of Liege (ULG) and Namur (FUNDP) and the University Faculties of Saint-Louis (FUSL).