Hugo Omar Seleme



Hugo Seleme (born 1968, Cordoba, Argentina) is an Argentinean political philosopher professor of Legal ethics and Jurisprudence at Cordoba National University, Argentina. He is researcher at CONICET (Argentinean National Council for Sciences and Technology), and visiting professor at Pompeu Fabra University) School of Law, Barcelona, Spain and Heidelberg Center for Latin America. He has been a visiting scholar at Ohio University and researcher collaborator at Princeton University Center for Human Values. He has also had visiting positions at Alcalá University and University of Chile.

His work has focused on three primary lines of research: distributive justice, political legitimacy, and legal ethics. His view of justice is firmly rooted in Rawlsian egalitarian liberalism, emphasizing the importance of equality and fairness in the distribution of resources and opportunities within society. He believes that justice is not merely about the equitable allocation of goods but also about ensuring that societal structures uphold egalitarian principles.

Regarding political legitimacy, he conceives it as a relationship of authorship, which is a fundamental precondition for the emergence of justice demands. This perspective underscores the notion that legitimate political institutions must be those that individuals can see as their own creations, reflecting their collective will and consent. It is through this lens of legitimacy that the principles of justice gain their force and applicability.

Lastly, his conception of legal ethics is intricately linked to the demands of political legitimacy. He posits that the ethical obligations of legal practitioners are not isolated from the broader political context but are instead deeply embedded within it. Legal ethics, in his view, must be understood in relation to the overarching framework of legitimate political authority, ensuring that legal professionals uphold the principles that support and reinforce the legitimacy of the legal and political system. This integrated approach highlights the interconnectedness of justice, legitimacy, and ethical practice in the legal domain.

Books

 * Neutralidad y Justicia (2004) Barcelona: Marcial Pons.
 * Las Fronteras de la Justicia Distributiva (2011) Madrid: Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales.
 * Puro Cristianismo (2018) Mexico: Coyoacán.
 * Inocencia, Legitimidad y Lealtad (2020) Buenos Aires: B de F.
 * Bitácora del Naufragio. En la Tormenta Neoliberal (2021) Córdoba: Brujas.
 * La Ética de los Abogados (2023) México: Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas. UNAM.

Papers

 * Defending the Guilty: A Moral Justification, Ethical Perspectives
 * The Moral Irrelevance of Global and International Inequality, The Journal Jurisprudence
 * A Rawlsian Dual Duty of Assistance, Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence