The Reopening of the American Mind

On Skepticism and Constitutionalism
Erscheinungsjahr 1998
ISBN: 978-90-420-0521-1
Verlag: Brill | Rodopi

Buch, Englisch, Band 69, 274 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 230 mm, Gewicht: 653 g

Reihe: Value Inquiry Book Series

The Reopening of the American Mind: On Skepticism and Constitutionalism explores the connection of "moderate" skepticism with attachment to constitutionalism through the thought of five writers. The features of this skepticism were concisely delineated by James Madison in the 37th Federalist as a recognition of the complexity of political matters, the limitations of human reason, and the shortcomings of language. The position was first articulated by Cicero who connected it with the idea of a "mixed" or republican constitution developed by trial and error over generations. Cicero was influential in the world of David Hume, Edmund Burke, and Madison. The skeptical/constitutional connection found its most articulate recent advocate in Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter and underlay his advocacy of "judicial restraint."
Current events have revived interest in the primacy of the legislative branch in balancing interests and rights, in the States as laboratories for democracy, and in an experimental approach to the solution of social problems in what might be called a "reopening of the American mind."
The five central chapters explore the skeptical/constitutional connection and the "spirit of moderation" in these political thinkers. Without an appreciation of this tradition of avoiding dogmatism, people will continue to demand simple answers to complex problems. The book is not, however, primarily a tract for the times but a reflection on the on-going search for a more civil world.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vice, James W.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Robert GINSBERG: Editorial Foreword. William B. CANNON: Guest Foreword. Preface: Standpoint. ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE INQUIRY. 1. Stipulations About Social Knowledge. 2. Stipulations About the United States Constitution. 3. This Text. TWO: MADISON. THREE: CICERO AND THE ORIGINS OF SKEPTICISM. 1. Prologue: The Skeptical Tradition. 2. Cicero's Life. 3. Cicero's Academic Philosophy. 4. The Legal and Political Dialogues. 5. Other Works. 6. Cicero's Influence. FOUR: HUME. 1. Hume and His Interpreters. 2. Hayek. 3. Livingston. 4. Toward Humanity. FIVE: BURKE. 1. Interpretations of Burke. 2. Language and Meaning. 3. The Grounding and Growth of Principles. 4. Human Nature and Government. 5. Reason, in Sickness and in Health. SIX: FELIX FRANKFURTER. 1. Stipulations about Law. 2. The Status of Frankfurter. 3. Biographical Sketch. 4. The Canonical Figures. 5. The Harvard Publications and Their Applications. 6. The Flag Salute Cases. 7. Democracy. 8. Legal Reasoning. 9. Due Process. 10. Exemplars. 11. Conclusion. 12. Bibliographical and Critical Appendix. SEVEN: POSTSCRIPTS. Notes. Bibliography. About the Author. Index.