
On Reading the Constitution
Harvard University Press
Published on 1. January 1993
Book
Paperback/Softback
164 pages
978-0-674-63626-2 (ISBN)
Description
Our Constitution speaks in general terms of "liberty" and "property," of the "privileges and immunities" of citizens, and of the "equal protection of the laws"-open-ended phrases that seem to invite readers to reflect in them their own visions and agendas. Yet, recognizing that the Constitution cannot be merely what its interpreters wish it to be, this volume's authors draw on literary and mathematical analogies to explore how the fundamental charter of American government should be construed today.
Reviews / Votes
A lively and important contribution to the continuing dialogue on constitutional interpretation... [The book] serves to remind us of the trouble we make for ourselves when we assume that we can predict the conclusions of the original intentionalist, that liberals are always activists and conservatives never, or that the protections of liberty afforded by a living Constitution have all come from only one ideological camp. -- Harry N. Scheiber * New York Times Book Review * This book amounts to an energetic and often highly illuminating discussion of how constitutional interpretation inevitably involves substantive choices but is not simply a matter of making things up... On Reading the Constitution reminds us of the extent to which our understanding of constitutional interpretation remains in a primitive state... Tribe and Dorf's book counts as an unusually articulate contribution to the large number of recent works attempting to justify, to preserve, and to extend the work of the Warren Court. -- Cass Sunstein * New Republic * [A] well-argued and clearly written volume... By the clarity and persuasiveness of their detailed analysis of particular cases, they...establish that progress is made most securely when one proceeds with caution and humility. -- T. R. S. Allan * Cambridge Law Journal * A provocative, well argued book. -- John Moeller * Political Science Quarterly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student
Illustrations
1 line illustration
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
245 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-63626-2 (9780674636262)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Laurence H. Tribe | Michael C. Dorf
On Reading the Constitution
E-Book
01/1993
Harvard University Press
€30.69
Available for download
Persons
Laurence H. Tribe is Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard Law School. Michael C. Dorf is Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell Law School.
Content
Introduction 1. How Not to Read the Constitution 2. Structuring Constitutional Conversations 3. Judicial Value Choice in the Definition of Rights 4. Seeking Guidance from other Disciplines: Law, Literature, and Mathematics 5. Reconstructing the Constitution as a Reader's Guide Notes Index of Cases General Index