The ideas that formed the Constitution, Part 9: Virgil and other poets
If the American Founding had a poet laureate, Virgil would be it.
The Ideas That Formed the Constitution, Part 8: Cicero (Cont.)
Directly or indirectly, Cicero probably influenced the Constitution as much as any other thinker.
The real Commerce Clause—as the Founders knew it
During the Founding era, the phrase “regulate Commerce” had a very specific meaning
The ideas that formed the Constitution, part 6: Polybius
In the debate over the Constitution, both sides looked to Polybius for ammunition.
The ideas that formed the Constitution: part 5: Aristotle
James Madison admired Aristotle’s work “The Politeia.”
The ideas that formed the Constitution, Part 4: the pioneers: Socrates, Xenophon, Plato
Some Federalists expressed pride in the Constitution precisely because they considered it more reality-based than Plato’s “Republic.”
The ideas that formed the Constitution, Part 3: the pioneers: Socrates, Xenophon, Plato
Plato refined Socrates’s classification of political systems and suggested that the better political forms tend to degenerate into corrupt forms. Aristocracy, for example, becomes oligarchy, and democracy becomes tyranny.
The ideas that formed the Constitution, Part 2: The Founders’ education
Eighteenth-century education encompassed religion, music, and English. . . . But the heart of the curriculum was made up of the Greco-Roman classics.
First in a series: The ideas that formed the Constitution
These essays will focus on the writers who taught the Founders their political lessons—their lessons in republicanism, in political organization, and in political virtue.
The Cult of Advocacy: Comments on the State of Legal Scholarship—With Examples from Professor Ablavsky’s Latest Response
Many writings by law professors merely serve a political agenda and do not meet the minimal qualifications for real scholarship
Defending the Constitution: Why the Framers Thought Ratification by Only Nine States Was Sufficient
Why nine? Because any combination of nine states (even the nine with the smallest populations) would comprise a majority of American citizens.
Understanding the Constitution: Originalism was not invented by partisan Republicans
In constitutional law, the methods applied by “progressives” are the new, partisan inventions. Originalism is the standard bequeathed by the ages.
