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David A. Schultz and Christopher E. Smith: The Jurisprudential Vision of Justice Antonin Scalia. (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1996. Pp. xxv, 245. $62.50. $23.95, paper.) A Matter of Interpretation [...]

Antonin Scalia: A Matter of Interpretation. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997. Pp. xiii, 159. $19.95.) A Matter of Interpretation contains the essay resulting from Antonin Scalia's Tanner Lectures at Princeton [...]

Liberal political theorists are often accused of 'privatizing' religion; the work of philosopher John Rawls has been especially subject to this criticism. I begin by examining what is meant by 'privatization.' I then consider the criticisms of Rawls advanced by Timothy Jackson, David Hollenbach, and John Langan. I argue (1) that Rawls does not privatize religion to the extent that his critics believe and (2) that criticisms of what privatization of religion Rawls does defend cannot be sustained.

In his essay 'Natural Law, Property, and Justice,' B. Andrew Lustig argues for what he calls 'significant correspondences' between John Locke's theory of property and scholastic theories of property on the one hand, and between Locke's theory and contemporary Catholic social teaching on the other. These correspondences, Lustig claims, establish an intellectual 'tradition of property in common.' I argue that linking Aquinas - even via Locke - to the redistributivism of contemporary Catholic social teaching requires distorting his political theory. This distortion, I argue, obscures the possibility of using Aquinas's political theory as a basis for radical social criticism.

Explores issues pertaining to physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the United States and professional Oath authored by Hippocrates entitled `The Philosophers' Brief'. General moral and constitutional principle; Liberal democratic legitimacy; Treatment of right to PAS from right to removal of life support; Seduction of patients.

Discusses criticisms advanced against philosopher John Rawls' theories on religion. Privatization of religion; Analysis of Timothy Jackson's, David Hollenbach's and John Langan's criticisms of Rawls' theories.

Argues that the conception of legitimacy, suggested by Jeremy Waldron, is circular and the circle can be excised by leaving the transparency requirement. Two ways distinguished by Waldron of justifying the threshold below which even the poorest will not fall; Tension between Waldron's reasons for rejecting equality-based conceptions of legitimacy and his commitment to transparency requirement.