Subjects:  1. Legal Reference / Law Profession    2. Natural Law    3. Philosophy    4. Philosophy Of The 20th Century    5. Reference    6. Human rights    7. Law / Natural Law    8. Western philosophy, from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    3. Ethics (Specific Aspects)    4. History    5. Natural Law    6. Philosophy    7. Political    8. Christian moral & pastoral theology    9. Human rights    10. Practical & applied ethics   

Reviews (2)

pure Locke
This book is an absolute must not only for loyal followers of a natural rights theory as basis of the US constitution. Every scholar who wants to research the foundations of American constitutionalism in depth should have this book in the personal library. It his here that he will find pure Lockeanism and is here that Zuckert puts forward his case of Lockean natural rights and social contract theory as ideological basis for the founders in such a concise way that it is difficult to argue against his case. Of course this is what avid Zuckert readers are used to. This book, however, in referring to Jefferson as a natural rights thinker argues the natural rights theory with one of the most convincing witnesses you can find in American history: Thomas Jefferson. Zuckert depicts the Declaration of Independence and American political thought from an interesting perspective, Jefferson's viewpoint. He succeeds in disputing the main opposing theories to the natural rights theory such as the exemplary role of classical Greece and Rome, the continuity theory based on Puritan thought and Bailyn's point that Locke was only one among others influential on American political thought, to name just a few. I did note, however, a certain tendency to neglect historical facts especially as far as the influence of the English common law and Whiggish thought on the framers is concerned. Finally, that Zuckert did not examine the Constitution itself as closely as the Declaration of Independence is not only excusable. It serves a good purpose: to underline the importance of the Declaration of Independence as an outflow of quintessential American thought, thus a document America should be proud of.

Intellectual Tour de Force
Yet again, Michael Zuckert has produced a forceful, challenging, and overly fascinating work of scholarship.His previous work, "Natural Rights and the New Republicanism," in many ways a "prequel"to this volume, was a historical and not to mention philosophical landmark. This work picks up right where he left off.Part I of the work consistsof an in depth analysis of the Declaration of Independence.Thisinterpretration bristles with new insight.Unlike many past scholars,Zuckert makes an overt effort to place the Declaration in context.He doesthis by examining other sources of information, e.g. Thomas Jefferson's"Notes on Virginia" for instance.The end result, I must say, isbrilliant.Contrary to modern conceptions, he demonstrates what theDeclaration was really meant to say, and, at the same time, howphilosophically sophisticated it really was.In Part II, Zuckert endeavorsto prove that the United States was indeed founded as the natural rightsrepublic, in a modern, dynamic, forward looking philosophical climate.Tobegin with, he picks apart the thesis that the American Revolution wasmerely an extension of the Glorious Revolution undertaken bythe Whigruling class in the late 1680s.This however, is nothing new, especiallyif one has already read his account of the Glorious Revolution and naturalrights philosophy in his previous work.Nevertheless, he showsconclusively the incompatibility between the two Revolutions, primarily,but not wholly, through a comparison of the Declaration of Independence andthe English "Bill of Rights."Moving on, Chapters 5 and 6address the issue of Puritanism and its legacy in early America.Manyscholars have proposed that the American Revolution was merely an extensionof ideals held by the early Calvinist settlers of the 17th century.It isthis thesis, however, that Zuckert completely demolishes.He conducts andin depth analysis of Puritan ideology, as well as its sources.Ofparticular interest is discussion of Martin Luther's concept of the"Two Kingdoms," and its influence in American thought.To make along story short, he demonstrates how dramatically Locke's ideas clash withthose of the early Puritans.This contention is driven home clearly by anexamination of important political/relgious thinkers in 18th centiry NewEngland, Elisha Williams and Jonathan Mayhew in particular. Finally, inChapter 7 finds Zuckert further pushing his case for the natural rightsrepublic.He takes on the so-called "classical republican" or"civic humanist" thesis expounded by such scholars as J.G.A.Pocock and Gordon Wood, deftly making mincemeat of them. Pressing on, heexamines Thomas Jefferson's evolving political philosophy to reveal thetruly radical, natural rightist foundations of American republicanism. Although the book is by and large solid, I do have several misgivings aboutit.First and foremost, Zuckert's Jefferson scholarship is highy suspect,as can be devined through use of Merill Peterson's biography, as the small,unscholarly Library of America collection of Jefferson's writings.I wasvery surprised that he did not cite Dumas Malone's definitive 6 volumebiography "Jefferson and His Time," or Julian Boyd's definitivecollection of Jefferson's papers.Also, Zuckert's refutation of thePuritan "Continuity Thesis," strikes me as a bit odd, as it doesnot prove anything at all concerning the colonies outside of New England,none of which have any Puritan heritage whatsoever.Despite theseshortcomings, the work as a whole is brilliant.This volume, as well ashis previous offering, is an absolute must for anyone interested in therelevant disciplines. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Natural Law    3. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    4. Political Process - Political Parties    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Political History    9. Colonization & independence    10. Human rights    11. Political ideologies    12. Political science & theory    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Christian ethics    2. Ethics    3. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    4. Law    5. Natural Law    6. Philosophy    7. Metaphysics & ontology   

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. Enlightenment    3. History    4. History & Surveys - General    5. Natural Law    6. Philosophy    7. Philosophy, Scottish    8. Sources    9. Ethics & moral philosophy    10. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    11. Natural law--History    12. Philosophy / History, Criticism, Surveys    13. Western philosophy, c 1600 to c 1800    14. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (1)

The First Modern Political Philosopher
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) wrote "Leviathan" in 1651, it was his most important philosophical work.I think you should know something of Hobbes to understand how his thinking was influenced by his experiences.He was born 2 months prematurely on the day the Spanish Armada approaches the English coast.His mother's fear of invasion caused the premature birth.Hobbes remarked late in life, "his mother brought forth twins-myself and fear."Fear seems to be Hobbes life long companion and the key passion in his political system, which uses human passions as its foundation.He was a child prodigy reading Latin and Greek at the age of six years old.At fifteen, he entered Oxford University and hated his educational experience there.He thought the curriculum was too immersed in the ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle.He called them "erroneous doctrines," and throughout his life he railed against English universities for there stodgy curriculum.
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Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Law    3. Natural Law    4. Political    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Ethics & moral philosophy    7. Law / Natural Law    8. Modern Western philosophy, c 1600 to the present    9. Other prose: 16th to 18th centuries    10. Philosophy | History | 17th C   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law and ethics    3. Natural Law    4. Philosophy    5. Philosophy Of Law    6. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law   

Subjects:  1. History    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Natural Law    5. Philosophy    6. Jurisprudence & General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Ethics    3. Human rights    4. Informed consent (Medical law)    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Medical Law & Legislation    8. Natural Law    9. Practice Management & Reimbursement    10. Practice Of Medicine    11. United States    12. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    13. Law as it applies to other professions    14. Medical ethics    15. Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy    16. Philosophy | Ethics & Moral Philosophy | Applied Ethics    17. Practical & applied ethics   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Human rights    3. Natural Law    4. Political And Civil Rights    5. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    6. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Sociological jurisprudence    11. Sociology - General    12. Sociology Of Law    13. International human rights law    14. Political Science / Political Freedom & Security / Human Rights   

Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - General    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession    3. Natural Law    4. Philosophy    5. Foundations of law   

Reviews (2)

A Stimulating Primer
What struck me is that this book analyzes natural law within a legal context: many of the contributing authors are attorneys as well as philosopher. This is particularly helpful to our nation today, as I think more citizens will have to reassess the role of the judiciary these days. Scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading.
Common Truths: New Perspectives On Natural Law is a collection consisting of cogent remarks and prescient essays: Are There Moral Truths That Everyone Knows? (Ralph McInerny); Natural Law: The Legacy of Greece andRome (J. Rufus Fears); Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Challenges ofDiversity (John Jenkins); John Locke's Reflections on Natural Law and theCharacter of the Modern World (Timothy Fuller); Theories of Natural Law inthe Culture of Advanced Modernity (Alasdair MacIntyre); What Dignity Means(Virginia Black); Natural Law and Positive Law (Robert P. George); NaturalRights and the Limited of Constitutional Law (Russell Hittinger); NaturalLaw and Sexual Ethics (Janet E. Smith); Contract Law and Natural Law(Edward J. Murphy); Tort Law and Natural Law (William N. Riley); CriminalLaw and Natural Law (Ian A.T. McLean); and Natural Law in the Twenty-FirstCentury (Charles E. Rice). Common Truths is scholarly, intellectuallystimulating reading for anyone wanting to better understand and appreciatethe permanent norms of human action and their relationships to a moral andpolitical life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession    3. Natural Law    4. Fuller, Timothy    5. Smith, Janet    6. MacIntyre, Alasdair    7. George, Robert P.   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Jurisprudence    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Natural Law    5. Philosophy    6. Political    7. Political aspects    8. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    9. Philosophy / General   

Subjects:  1. Ethics & Professional Responsibility    2. Jurisprudence    3. Law    4. Law and ethics    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Moral and ethical aspects    7. Natural Law    8. Obedience (Law)    9. Ethics & moral philosophy    10. Foundations of law    11. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    12. Law / Jurisprudence    13. Law / Natural Law    14. Law | Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy    15. Law-Jurisprudence   

Subjects:  1. Law    2. Natural Law    3. Religion    4. Religion And Politics    5. Religious aspects    6. Christian theology    7. Protestantism & Protestant Churches    8. Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Natural Law    5. Philosophy    6. Philosophy Of Law    7. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    8. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (10)

A good read. An interesting theory.
I loved this book,not because I completely agree with Dershowitz theory(although generally I do),but because of how clear and understandable he writes for the non-scholar,such as me.
Challenging, but Dershowitz is Right (and Left)
This high level book on legal philosophy attempts to discover and explain the origins and future development of human rights and civil liberties. Legal scholar, Harvard law professor and author Alan Dershowitz makes no attempt to tutor readers. He starts from an expert philosophical perspective, and only goes deeper as he seamlessly navigates through contemporary, historical and judicial examples to present his theory about the origins of rights. Dershowitz is a masterful, machete-wielding guide through a dense, challenging forest of ideas laced with tangled vines of legal ideology. We recommend his book to readers with prior knowledge of the progress of human rights and U.S. civil liberties, as well as social and legal philosophy. It is a notch thick for good cocktail party conversation or easy undergraduate debate. However, it exemplifies Dershowitz's vivid thought process and powerful command of social philosophy. Dershowitz and other civil libertarians feel constantly compelled to challenge any court rulings or majority-held opinions that even remotely hint of infringing on real or perceived personal rights. This book fully explains why.

An Exploration into the Philosophy of Law
The California Constitution begins with a statement that all rights arise from God.The Federal Constitution makes no
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Subjects:  1. Civil rights    2. History & Theory - General    3. Human rights    4. Natural Law    5. Political Advocacy    6. Political And Civil Rights    7. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    8. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    2. Jurisprudence    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Natural Law    6. Political    7. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    8. Law / Jurisprudence    9. Law | Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy    10. Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies    11. Social & political philosophy    12. Theology   

Subjects:  1. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    2. Ethics & Professional Responsibility    3. Ethics (Specific Aspects)    4. General    5. Law    6. Law and ethics    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Natural Law    9. Philosophy    10. Philosophy Of Law    11. Philosophy / General    12. Western philosophy   

Subjects:  1. 1588-1679    2. General    3. History    4. Hobbes, Thomas,    5. Law    6. Natural Law    7. Philosophy    8. Religion and law    9. Religious    10. Contributions in natural law    11. Ethics & moral philosophy    12. Hobbes, Thomas    13. Locke, John    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Religion & Beliefs