Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium
Our form of constitutionalism implies that those who make,
interpret and enforce the law ought to be guided by the original
meaning of the supreme law of the land, the United States
Constitution. This view was undermined in the last century with the
rise of the theory of the Constitution as a "living document" with
no fixed meaning, subject to changing interpretations according to
the spirit of the times. The ensuing debate and ongoing revival of
"originalism" - sparked two decades ago by a series of public
speeches by then-Attorney General Edwin Meese III - is one of the
most significant shifts in modern American political and legal
thought. What is originalism, and can it be restored in our
constitutional jurisprudence? How can a jurisprudence of
originalism address and deal with the established precedents of the
last few decades? Is it too late for the original Constitution?
More About the Speakers
From the Beginning: The Meaning and Revival of
Originalism:
Randy E. Barnett
Boston University School of Law
David Forte
Cleveland-Marshall School of Law
Keith E. Whittington
Princeton University
Too Late? Original Meaning and the Challenges of
Precedent:
John Harrison
The University of Virginia School of Law
John O. McGinnis
Northwestern University School of Law
Christopher Wolfe
Marquette University
Closing Remarks:
Edwin Meese III
Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy, The Heritage
Foundation
Hosted By
![B Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies]()
B Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies
Read More