Introduction

Introduction

Description

The introduction situates the project in the broader comparative law literature and in the context of contemporary political developments. It discusses the meaning and functions of a canon of comparative law. Acknowledging the challenges involved with such a concept, in particular its Western bias and questions of exclusion, it argues for understanding a canon as not as a selection of the best interpretation of certain shared values or principles, but a space for a conversation about central normative underpinnings of democratic constitutionalism. At a time when we observe a retreat from universal categories towards more particularist understandings, sometimes coupled with the erosion of democratic constitutionalism, this kind of conversation is more necessary than ever. The second part of the introduction offers an outline of the volume and a detailed summary of the following chapters.

First Page

1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/9780191956942.003.0001

Source Publication

Global Canons in an Age of Contestation: Debating Foundational Texts of Constitutional Democracy and Human Rights

Source Editors/Authors

Sujit Choudhry, Michaela Hailbronner, Mattias Kumm

Publication Date

5-15-2024

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Introduction

Find @ NYU

Share

COinS