Introduction
Sir William Blackstone (1723–1780) wrote what is probably the most famous English language law book ever published. Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England envisions English common law as a humanist cultural achievement at once connected to conservative traditions and open to social change. Published between 1765 and 1769, the four-volume Commentaries became an influential authority in the nascent US legal system. Though his work is rarely studied today, Blackstone continues to be cited by American courts. More broadly, in countries throughout the world, Blackstone’s vision continues to shape how lawyers and the public at large understand what it means to have a government constituted and limited by law.
Blackstone was an opponent of democracy and a traditionalist supporter of hierarchical society. As a member of English Parliament, he voted to reenact the notorious Stamp Act, which exacted revenue from the American colonists whose demand for independence from...
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References
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Allen, J. (2020). Blackstone, William. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_590-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_590-1
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