Author Description
The Period From The Fifteenth Century To The Late Eighteenth Century Was One Of Critical Importance To British Constitutionalism. Although The Seeds Were Sown In Earlier Eras, It Was At This Point That The Constitution Was Transformed To A System Of Representative Parliamentary Government. Changes At The Practical Level Of The Constitution Were Accompanied By A Wealth Of Ideas On Constitutions Written From Different - And Often Competing - Perspectives. Hobbes And Locke, Harrington, Hume, And Bentham, Coke, The Levellers, And Blackstone Were All Engaged In The Constitutional Affairs Of The Day, And Their Writings Influenced The Direction And Outcome Of Constitutional Thought And Development. They Treated Themes Of A Universal And Timeless Character And As Such Have Established Themselves Of Lasting Interest And Importance In The History Of Constitutional Thought. Examining Their Works We Can Follow The Shaping Of Contemporary Ideas Of Constitutions, And The Design Of Constitutional Texts. At The Same Time Major Constitutional Change And Upheaval Were Taking Place In America And France. This Was An Era Of Intense Discussion, Examination, And Constitution-making. The New Nation Of The United States Looked To Authors Such As Locke, Hume, Harrington, And Sydney For Guidance In Their Search For A New Republicanism, Adding To The Development Of Constitutional Thought And Practice. This Collection Includes Chapters Examining The Influences Of Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, And Adams. In France The Influence Of Rousseau Was Apparent In The Revolutionary Constitution, And Sieyes Was An Active Participant In Its Discussion And Design. Montesquieu And De Maistre Reflected On The Nature Of Constitutions And Constitutional Government, And These French Writers Drew On, Engaged With, And Challenged The British And American Writers. The Essays In This Volume Reveal A Previously Unexplored Dynamic Relationship Between The Authors Of The Three Nations, Explaining The Intimate Connecti
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates how the intellectual contributions of key political philosophers between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries shaped the development of constitutionalism in Britain, America, and France. Denis J. Galligan, a scholar of law and politics, compiles a series of essays that analyze the interplay between practical constitutional reform and the theoretical writings of thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and the American Founders. The work argues that these historical figures engaged in a cross-national dialogue that established the foundational principles of modern representative government and republicanism.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of British constitutional transformation toward representative parliamentary government.
- Examination of the influence of Enlightenment thinkers on American republicanism.
- Comparative study of French revolutionary constitutional design and the works of Rousseau and Sieyes.
- Exploration of the intellectual connections between British, American, and French political writers.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the period from the fifteenth to the late eighteenth century.
- It does not provide an exhaustive history of all constitutional developments, focusing instead on the specific intellectual lineage of the era.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of political history recognize this collection as a useful resource for understanding the cross-pollination of ideas during the Enlightenment. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the specialized focus on the intellectual history of constitutional design.
Page Count:
425
Publication Date:
2014-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191025496
ISBN-13:
9780191025495
History
Philosophy
British History
Political Theory
Constitutional Law
French History
American History