Fundamental Liberties of a Free People
Subtitle: Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2017
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 452
ISBN-13: 9781351310680
Subjects: Civil rights; Droits de l'homme
Description: "Of the American Bill of Rights, perhaps the forty-five words that comprise the First Amendment-allowing freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly, and the guaranty of the writ of habeas corpus-are the most precious. Only a legal expert could lay claim to truly understanding the meaning and intention of those basic freedoms. Yet it is precisely the expert, knowing the complexity of the subject, who would be the first to hesitate to claim to possess such a thorough understanding. In analyzing such freedoms basic to American society, Milton Konvitz helps make comprehending our fundamental liberties easier. The book is divided into three parts: I. Freedom of Religion; II. Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly; III. Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly: The Clear and Present Danger Doctrine. The reader will find included such topics as the debate over the scope of the separation of Church and State, whether or not freedom of religion is an absolute right, religious freedom prior to 1776, the liberty of private schools, heresy, the right for a religious group to seek converts, the freedoms not to speak and listen, obscene literature, picketing in labor disputes, the freedom to think and believe, abridgments of speech and press, and loyalty oaths and guilt by association. Konvitz's work includes an important chapter on the history of the adoption of the Bill of Rights. His careful tracing of the development of constitutional attitudes to the freedoms protected by the First Amendment is a scholarly benchmark, and is still an archetype for students doing research and writing about these issues. It is of critical importance to anyone seeking an authoritative statement on the basic liberties guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Fundamental Liberties of a Free People is a relevant and practical guide to understanding the liberties so fundamental to a free society. In his new introduction and afterword, author Milton Konvitz brings First Amendment developments up to 2002. It will be welcomed by students and scholars of constitutional law, government, politics, religion, and American history."--Provided by publisher.
Table of contents: title: Part, I Freedom of Religion  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 1 The Roots and the Flower  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 2 What Is a Church?  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 3 Before 1776  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 4 The Virginia Experiment  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 5 The First Amendment  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 6 The Fourteenth Amendment  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 7 Is Freedom of Religion an Absolute?  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 8 The Police Power  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 9 The Principle of Separation of Church and State  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 10 The Liberty of Private Schools  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 11 The Liberty of Churches  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 12 The Law Knows No Heresy  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 13 The Right to Seek Converts  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: part, II Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 14 The Freedom Not to Speak  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 15 The Freedom Not to Listen  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 16 The Right to Be Let Alone  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 17 Fighting Words  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 18 Obscene Literature  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 19 Previous Restraint  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 20 Picketing in Labor Disputes  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 21 Taxes on Knowledge  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 22 Limited Abridgments of Speech and Press  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 23 Test Oaths and the Freedom to Think and Believe  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 24 Loyalty Oaths and Guilt by Association  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: part, III Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly: The Clear and Present Danger Doctrine  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 25 The Original Meaning of the Doctrine  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 26 History of the Doctrine  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 27 The Doctrine Reduced to a Phrase: Dennis v. United States  -- Milton R. Konvitz; title: chapter 28 The Loss of a Constitutional Jewel? -- Milton R. Konvitz.