The Constitution and the Pride of Reason

Has constitutional law become merely the confused but self-important incantations of a secular priesthood? The Pride of Reason offers an iconoclastic assessment of American constitutionalists from Madison and Jefferson to Dworkin and Bork, as well as a provocative overview of both the aspirations and the tragic failures of American constitutionalism.

Examining the perennial claim that constitutional law somehow embodies a commitment to governance by "reason," this book shows how the lofty intentions of yesterday''s framers and today''s scholars have culminated in rampant confusion and elaborate sophistry. The Constitution and the Pride of Reason gives readers a provocative overview of the noble aspirations and tragic failures of American constitutionalism, offering iconoclastic assessments of constitutionalists ranging from Madison and Jefferson to Dworkin and Bork."This is not a book for specialists in constitutional doctrine. It draws upon political and moral philosophy, history, constitutional theory, and political science to sustain a thesis which should interest all thinking Americans. It is also refreshingly well-written, very clear, and precise, often witty."--Gerald V. Bradley, University of Notre Dame