The Basic Norm: an unsolved murder mystery

Near the end of his life, Hans Kelsen did away with the conception of the Basic Norm which he had defended so vigorously throughout his career and formulated a new version which was less well suited to his objective of demonstrating that law is genuinely scientific. Why did he do this? This short essay suggests an answer: that his final version of the Basic Norm followed logically from his understanding of how legal norms connect with human volition.