Rejecting Rights (Contemporary Political Theory)

Description

This book is a hybrid of normative political theory and constitutional law, well-written, and not too abstract. Indeed, Bedi includes many concerete examples of what his theory means in practice. Not only is this book a joy to read, it is one of the most interesting and most original books written about the right way to think about the constitutional limits on the power of the state in recent memory. Bedi's thesis --that we should reject rights and focus on the kinds of reasons that the state has for enacting particular laws-- is provocative and must be taken seriously. In the end, I wasn't entirely convinced that his version of Mill's harm principle could do the justificatory work that he claimed that it could, but this is one of the best books written about constitutional theory that I have read in a long time. Anyone who is interested in politics, political theory, constitutional law, or constitutional theory should read this book. You won't be disappointed.