François Geny

François Geny (1861-1959), influential French legal philosopher, author, and educator. Geny was born in Baccarat, France and studied law at the University of Nancy, where he had a long career as professor. Geny's legal philosophy was inspired by the proposition that gained popularity throughout Europe at the end of the 19th century. According to this proposition, law needs to be considered as a sociological phenomenon instead of simply issuing from a legislator's will. According to Geny, judges should be bound by the text of the written law only when the language of the law is clear and unambiguous. In all other cases judges should consider the particular social and economic factors involved in the case and seek the most just solution. Geny's legal theories influenced the development of statutory law throughout Europe.

Geny’s two principal works, Méthode d'interprétation et sources en droit privé positif (1899; Methods of Interpretation and Sources in Private Law) and Science et technique du droit privé positif (four volumes, 1914-1924; The Science and Techniques of Private Law), address problems of legal methodology.