The constitution & the pride of reason
By: Steven D. Smith.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 203
Subjects: Constitutional law -- United States; Law and politics; Reason
Other titles: Constitution and the pride of reason
Description: Observing that standard accounts of constitutional law - both the "conservative" and "liberal" varieties - have lost their power to illuminate, The Constitution and the Pride of Reason explores how constitutional law hangs together (and how it falls apart) by investigating the perennial claim that the Constitution and its interpretation somehow embody a commitment to governance by "reason". What does this claim mean, and is it valid?

In confronting these queries, Smith offers revealing and iconoclastic assessments of constitutionalists ranging from Madison and Jefferson to Dworkin and Bork. Also detailed in these pages is a provocative overview of the whole constitutional project, from its noble aspirations to its tragic failures.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-195) and index.