Coast Aire Publications

American justice; ethical foundations and the evolution of modern law.

Gessell (social and behavioral sciences, Arizona State U.) wrote this book to address the legal and judicial system in the United States, the morality under-girding law and society in America, and its evolution and development. First, he discusses the evolution of law in chapters that discuss the philosophy of Western law and American justice together with patterns of legal and social evolution. He then explores the ethical foundations of the law from Aristotle and Plato to the US Constitution, touching upon Augustine, Aquinas, Kant, Rousseau, Bentham, Milton Friedman, John Rawls, Roman Law, the Magna Carta, and the Napoleonic code along the way. Next he presents a review of constitutional law that involves the political economy of government and society, the US Constitution as social contract, comparison of criminal and civil law, and an introduction to legal research. Finally, he discusses the legal, social-contractual obligations of citizens, government, and corporations. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)