Morality, Politics, and Law

Reviews / Votes

"An invigorating book that lucidly frames many of the most important questions at the intersection of constitutional law and moral and political philosophy."--University of Chicago Law Review
"Consistently interesting and searching. Perry's book is bound to provoke critical reaction from reviewers."--G. Edward White, University of Virginia
"Perry has mastered an extensive and extremely difficult philosophical literature and has managed to work through a series of troubling problems intelligently and critically."--Kent Greenawalt, Columbia University
"The scope of this new work places Michael Perry in the ranks of Constitutional theorists like Ronald Dworkin and Roberto Unger who have innovative, comprehensive visions of the role of law in contemporary American society. Perry develops a theory of how a transformative politics is possible given the failure of moral and political philosophers to find common principles among the many different values and ideals of these pluralistic times."--David C. Hoy,
University of California, Santa Cruz
"Perry has written a book that is to be read by anyone concerned with our society having a moral future. Drawing on the best philosophical, legal, and theological discussions, he has brought those disciplines into conversation in an extraordinary way to illumine our current crisis. Moreover, he begins to develop a constructive alternative that few have even begun to envision. I hope this book is read and read widely."--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University
"An invigorating book that lucidly frames many of the most important questions at the intersection of constitutional law and moral and political philosophy."--University of Chicago Law Review
"Consistently interesting and searching. Perry's book is bound to provoke critical reaction from reviewers."--G. Edward White, University of Virginia
"Perry has mastered an extensive and extremely difficult philosophical literature and has managed to work through a series of troubling problems intelligently and critically."--Kent Greenawalt, Columbia University
"The scope of this new work places Michael Perry in the ranks of Constitutional theorists like Ronald Dworkin and Roberto Unger who have innovative, comprehensive visions of the role of law in contemporary American society. Perry develops a theory of how a transformative politics is possible given the failure of moral and political philosophers to find common principles among the many different values and ideals of these pluralistic times."--David C. Hoy,
University of California, Santa Cruz
"Perry has written a book that is to be read by anyone concerned with our society having a moral future. Drawing on the best philosophical, legal, and theological discussions, he has brought those disciplines into conversation in an extraordinary way to illumine our current crisis. Moreover, he begins to develop a constructive alternative that few have even begun to envision. I hope this book is read and read widely."--Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University
"Perry's critique of 'the liberal political-philosophical project' is both convincing and devastating."--John T. Noonan, Jr., Judge of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
"In this carefully argued essay, Perry provides a firmer grounding for liberal constitutional decisions than anyone else has. Even those who disagree with his arguments about constitutional interpretation and law must hereafter take them into account."--Mark Tushnet, Georgetown University
"In this wonderful, new book, Michael Perry takes on the pressing subject of moral commitment and community in our pluralistic society. Whether it engenders agreement or disagreement--it will do both--Perry's argument, with its lucidity, range, and importance, leaves the reader well-instructed and better located, enabled to see more clearly who and where we are. Morality, Politics, and Law is tough-minded but thoroughly humane; it is essential reading
for all thoughtful members and students of the American polity."--Milner S. Ball, University of Georgia
"Perry's new book is a significant contribution to our scholarship on theories of constitutional interpretation and judicial power. It is a must for scholars and students of political and constitutional theory, law, and American political institutions"--Ronald Kahn, Oberlin College
"Michael Perry shows that liberal commitments to individual rights, constitutionalism, judicial review, and toleration of differences among groups can all be grounded in a naturalist conception of human flourishing and moral reasoning. The naturalist approach to politics and law that Perry outlines constitutes a significant alternative to social contract and utilitarian justifications of liberal commitments. Morality, Politics, and Law is an important,
well-argued, honest and refreshing contribution to our ongoing constitutional dialogue. Its naturalist perspective should facilitate genuine growth in our constitutional community."--Robin West, University of
Maryland
"Michael Perry has shown us that law and politics are not alternatives to moral discourse, but lead inevitably to basic questions about the human good. Even more important, Perry's ethical naturalism assures us that ethics is not an inquiry for specialists, but is woven into the religious ideals, public choices, and practical decisions we make every day. The book is must reading for anyone who still holds hope for a society committed to human
flourishing."--Robin S. Lovin, University of Chicago
"Michael Perry has challenged us again, this time with a full-blown moral theory of legal and more particularly constitutional interpretation. Even those who disagree will have to take his arguments seriously."--Walter F. Murphy, Princeton University
"This book deals insightfully with fundamental issues: the possibility of moral knowledge and discourse, the relation between the state and its citizens; the nature of constitutional interpretation and the place of the judiciary in developing our moral traditions. It will be of interest to anyone who wants to relate basic philosophical questions to important contemporary issues surrounding judicial review. Perry writes with economy but with fervor, connecting
philosophy, law, and religion in a way that is both challenging and alarming."--Robert F. Nagel, University of Colorado
"Perry is well qualified to address the heady subject matter of this book....The text is well written and well documented."--Choice