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Tilting at Windmills? Truth and Illusion in ‘The Political Constitution’
Author(s) -
Poole Thomas
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the modern law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1468-2230
pISSN - 0026-7961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2230.2007.00636.x
Subject(s) - constitution , politics , illusion , scholarship , style (visual arts) , law , pessimism , epistemology , centring , sociology , philosophy , aesthetics , political science , literature , art , psychology , visual arts , neuroscience
This article examines the constitutional scholarship of John Griffith. Centring on Griffith's seminal article ‘The Political Constitution’, the analysis reveals a more complex and pessimistic thinker than the standard image of Benthamite radical would allow. The article then examines the cogency of Griffith's vision – particularly his thesis that rights discourse ‘corrupts’ law and politics – against recent developments. It concludes by reflecting on Griffith's radical debunking style.