The Constitution: Dead or Alive.

The author reflects on the ongoing U.S. Supreme Court debate on whether or not the principles of the U.S. Constitution are fixed or subject to change. He examines the view of originalism advocated by Justice Antonin Scalia and his opposition to "purposivism" or presumed intention of a text. The author believes that taking an originalist position is contrary to the compromising nature by which the Constitution was conceived and that such a principle should apply to past and present issues.