Introduction Part I. The Spread of Legal Instrumentalism: 1. Non-instrumental views of law 2. Changing society and common law in the nineteenth century 3. Nineteenth century legislation and legal profession 4. Instrumentalism of the legal realists 5. Twentieth century Supreme Court instrumentalism Part II. Contemporary Legal Instrumentalism: 6. Instrumentalism in legal academia in the 1970s 7. Instrumentalism in theories of law 8. Instrumentalism in the legal profession 9. Instrumentalism of cause litigation 10. Instrumentalism and the judiciary 11. Instrumentalism in legislation and administration Part III. Corroding the Rule of Law: 12. Collapse of higher law, deterioration of common good 13. The threat to legality Epilogue.