This integrated study of law, economics and Peircian semiotics re-examines the relationship between law and market theory, and introduces the idea of law and market economy. Overcoming the traditional dichotomy between efficiency and justice, Malloy focuses on the relationship between creativity, entrepreneurism, and sustainable wealth formation. he shows how creativity and sustainable wealth formation have more to do with an ethic of social responsibility than with a concern for economic efficiency. In presenting his case, Malloy uses numerous examples as he reinterprets classic problems related to rational choice, the Coase Theorem, public choice, efficient breach, social contract theory, and wealth maximization, among others.
This synthesis of law, philosophy and market theory provides a new jurisprudence of exchange. It presents a fundamental critique of the traditional economic analysis of law and an alternative approach through semiotic analysis, examining the market exchange process through the broader perspective of creativity and human relationships.