{"product_id":"mere-natural-law-originalism-and-the-anchoring-truths-of-the-constitution-hardcover","title":"Mere Natural Law: Originalism and the Anchoring Truths of the Constitution - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHadley Arkes\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginalism Is Not Enough\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this profoundly important reassessment of constitutional interpretation, the eminent legal philosopher Hadley Arkes argues that \"originalism\" alone is an inadequate answer to judicial activism. Untethered from \"mere Natural Law\"--the moral principles knowable by all--our legal and constitutional system is doomed to incoherence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The framers of the Constitution regarded the \"self-evident\" truths of the Natural Law as foundational. And yet in our own time, both liberals and conservatives insist that we must interpret the Constitution while ignoring its foundation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Making the case anew for Natural Law, Arkes finds it not in theories hovering in the clouds or in benign platitudes (\"be generous,\" \"be selfless\"). He draws us back, rather, to the ground of Natural Law as the American Founders understood it, the anchoring truths of common sense--truths grasped at once by the ordinary man, unburdened by theories imbibed in college and law school. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When liberals discovered hitherto unknown rights in the \"emanations\" and \"penumbras\" of a \"living constitution,\" conservatives responded with an \"originalism\" that refuses to venture beyond the bare text. But in framing that text, the Founders appealed to moral principles that were there before the Constitution and would be there even if there were no Constitution. An originalism that is detached from those anchor - ing principles has strayed far from the original meaning of the Constitution. It is powerless, moreover, to resist the imposition of a perverse moral vision on our institutions and our lives. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Brilliant in its analysis, essential in its argument, Mere Natural Law is a must-read for everyone who cares about the Constitution, morality, and the rule of law.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHadley Arkes\u003c\/b\u003e, the Edward N. Ney Professor of Jurisprudence and American Institutions emeritus at Amherst College, is the founding director of the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding. His previous books include \u003ci\u003eFirst Things: An Inquiry into the First Principles of Morals and Justice \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNatural Rights and the Right to Choose\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Washington, D.C.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.26 x 9.13 x 6.22 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 02, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52802190311757,"sku":"9781684513017","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/3304\/7117\/files\/Z0JmT1ZHRWtlTTlnUUc5bDc3VHFxdz09.webp?v=1763632387","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.us\/products\/mere-natural-law-originalism-and-the-anchoring-truths-of-the-constitution-hardcover","provider":"belfastbooks.us","version":"1.0","type":"link"}