Commentary on the Constitution from Plato to Rousseau

(Paperback)

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In an age where scholars, lawyers, judges and just plain folk debate the original intent of the U.S. Constitution, Commentary on the Constitution from Plato to Rousseau demonstrates that the issues confronting the foundersas well as issues of understanding what the founders intendedcan be traced back to antiquity. Stein looks at 14 historical figures whoby their words and/or deedsset the stage for political thought before the constitution was written. All the subjects of this book deal as best they can with questions of the relationship between executive and other branches of government; all deal with the role of religion in government; all deal with how much (if any) democracy should be allowed in determining fundamental law and day-to-day governance; all engaged in the thought experiment of asking what life was like before government, and therefore why government was instituted; all deal with the relationship of central authority and provincial (states') rights; all seek to avoid tyranny. Commentary on the Constitution from Plato to Rousseau is not about what the founders took from previous thinkers and political figures; it is a book that allows the reader to consider the U.S. Constitution while learning about people whose genius has transcended time, from Plato to Rousseau.

Reviews

A rich discussion from the perspective of a variety of historical figures and traditions that sheds new light on the U.S. Constitution. -- Lawrence B. Goodheart, University of Connecticut, and author ofThe Solemn Sentence of Death: Capital Punishment in Connecticut
In this unusual and intriguing book the author speculates about what some of the great political theorists of history would have thought about the American Constitution. Readers may not agree with all his judgments, but his approach is highly stimulating and suggestive, illuminating both the long tradition of political theory and the Constitution itself. -- James Hitchcock, St. Louis University
By placing the U.S. Constitution in conversation with its intellectual ancestors, Stein has produced a volume of remarkable historical scope and relevance. Students and scholars alike will see the American political system-including matters of church and state, the limits of democracy, and minority rights- with fresh eyes after reading Stein's lively and engaging work. -- Matthew S. Hedstrom, University of Virginia

Author Bio

Joshua B. Stein is professor of history at Roger Williams University.