The Mysterious Science of the Law: An Essay on Blackstone's Commentaries / Edition 2

by Daniel J. Boorstin

Overview

Referred to as the "bible of American lawyers," Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England shaped the principles of law in both England and America when its first volume appeared in 1765. For the next century that law remained what Blackstone made of it. Daniel J. Boorstin examines why Commentaries became the most essential knowledge that any lawyer needed to acquire. Set against the intellectual values of the eighteenth century-and the notions of Reason, Nature, and the Sublime--Commentaries is at last fitted into its social setting. Boorstin has provided a concise intellectual history of the time, illustrating all the elegance, social values, and internal contradictions of the Age of Reason.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780226064987
Publisher:	University of Chicago Press
Publication date:	06/01/1996
Edition description:	1
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Daniel J. Boorstin, the former Librarian of Congress, is the author of The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson and is the editor of An American Primer and the series, The Chicago History of American Civilization.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Introduction
I: The Law: Science and Mystery
II: The Use of History
III: The Tendency of History
IV: The Use of Aesthetics
V: The Limits of Reason
VI: The Methods of Reason
VII: Humanity
VIII: Liberty
IX: Property
Conclusion: The Advantage of Being a Reasonable Creature
Notes
A Layman's Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

The author infuses this history with a sense of the impact of Christianity on the lives and beliefs of ordinary men and women. In addition to tracing Christianity's origins as a Jewish sect, the history of its spread, and the growth of its institutions, he explains the evolution of the faith's artistic expression in architecture, painting, rituals, and music. He also discusses the Church's role in caring within the community--both medical and pastoral care--and its shifting attitudes to cruelty and war. The volume is abundantly illustrated with color and b&w reproductions and photos; and the author's integrated discussion of art, history, and beliefs gives it wide appeal to both scholars and general readers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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