Comparative Matters

Reviews / Votes

A book of dazzling scope and depth. At once a methodological manifesto and a sweeping intellectual history, Hirschl reminds us that our contemporary debates about universality and particularity in law are simply new variations on a very old theme. This is an instant classic, from which no one will fail to learn something new. * Tom Ginsburg, Leo Spitz Professor of International Law, University of Chicago Law School * Ran Hirschl solidifies his position at the apex of students of comparative constitutional law. Both his range and depth of interests are remarkable. Every page has insights; it would be a pleasure to assign in courses and seminars, not only for the discussions it will surely provoke, but also for the plethora of papers, dissertations, and books it will surely inspire. * Sanford Levinson, author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance * Comparative Matters is a sharp reminder that law is too important a matter to leave in the hands and minds of lawyers. It is also a sharp reminder that comparative law, properly understood, is, can be and should be more than, yes, comparative law. It is a window to, and a tool for, an understanding of the political, the social, indeed, the human condition itself. Finally it is a gentle reminder that comparative 'law' would be a very different field absent the voice of Ran Hirschl. * J.H.H Weiler, President of the European University Institute * Comparative Matters truly matters, for if indeed we are now entering the "era of comparative law," we will need instruction and guidance in both the sources for, and possible futures of, this exciting renewal of intellectual exploration. In this wonderful book Ran Hirschl demonstrates that he is uniquely qualified to fill this role. By tracing contemporary debates and challenges in comparative constitutionalism to classical antecedents, he clears the path for a "renaissance" of methodologically and analytically diverse scholarly inquiry into the multifarious ways in which societies might choose to organize themselves constitutionally. In so doing he exemplifies the very transcendence towards which the book is devoted; thus the reach of his learning and the catholicity of his inter-disciplinary applications are precisely what are required for the successful evolution from comparative constitutional law to comparative constitutional studies. * Gary J. Jacobsohn, University of Texas *