The Man Who Mistook His Life for a Plant

Essay by Daniel A. Farber

According to the naturalist conception, moral knowledge is knowledge of how to live so as to flourish, to achieve well-being.

Flourish . . . to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant: The African violet flourished.

As I assume that other participants to this Symposium have already made clear, Morality, Politics, and Law is a dauntingly ambitious attempt to ground modern constitutional law in a comprehensive political philosophy. Few of us would have the confidence to attempt such a feat, fewer still would have the mastery of contemporary philosophy and jurisprudence needed to make the attempt credible. There is much that I admire in Professor Perry's analysis, particularly his discussions of foundationalism and judicial prudence. The book displays formidable intelligence, vast erudition, and a passionate sense of justice.


About the Author

Daniel A. Farber. Henry J. Fletcher Professor of Law, University of Minnesota.

Citation

63 Tul. L. Rev. 1445 (1989)