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Francis Bacon: Ten Essays 1561-1626

By Francis Bacon with an Introduction by Oliphant Smeaton

Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam and Viscount St Albans, was bom at York House, Strand, on 22nd January the younger son, by his second wife, of Sir Nicholas Bacon. Eord Keeper of the Great Seal. Almost from birth Francis was a delicate child, and suffered from prolonged ill health, a circumstance to “which some biographers have attributed the gravity of manner even in youth characteristic of him. Probably it was due rather to his intense absorption, even in early childhood, in studies commonly assigned to youths considerably his seniors. Though his earlier boyhood is almost a blank to us, save that he spent it between the family residence in London, situated near the present Strand and the Thames, and the country seat, yet we obtain interesting light upon the facts of his career when he emerges from the domestic seclusion of home to proceed in his thirteenth year with his brother

LONDON J. M. DENT & SONS LTD: NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON & CO INC, 1561-1626, 221p.

INDECENT EXPOSURE and the Court as Custodian of Morals

By Bruce Davis

This is the first comprehensive study of the history and evolution of American indecent exposure laws. The study informs a critical analysis of the role of courts as custos morum, or custodian of the morals. It contains a detailed constitutional analysis of legal management of morality.

The laws are a cornerstone of government regulation of morals, with roots tracing back to seventeenth century English and American cases, laws, and regulations. The state interests protected by indecent exposure laws focus on deterring public behaviors contrary to prevailing moral order and protecting the public from offense or alarm. As moral authority has shifted away from Christianity, the moral authority supporting maintenance of moral order have diminished and fragmented, leaving nuisance as the main justification. Most state statutes now define indecent exposure in terms of audience reaction, reflecting this dependence on nuisance theory. Supreme Court trends have weakened even this justification, raising questions about the viability of current indecent exposure laws.

Despite their fundamental role in moral regulation, indecent exposure laws have received little academic, political, or legal scrutiny. This analysis elucidates their origins, history, and effects, informing development of more effective policies on managing sexuality and nudity. The history of indecent exposure laws also provides insights into managing morals and church-state relations in secular societies. Legal, social, and political trends have created multiple complex jurisprudential dilemmas, exposing the laws to potential constitutional challenges based on the Establishment Clause, free exercise of religion, free speech, privacy, autonomy, overbreadth and vagueness, viewpoint restrictions, content-based restrictions, prior restraints, and equal protection precedent and doctrines. Changes in indecent exposure laws are likely but their costs and benefits remain unclear.

The book chronicles the origins and evolution of courts as custodian of morals. Aspects of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health abortion case decided in 2023 suggest that this regime may be nearing an end. Competing moral authorities are contributing to a worsening crisis in moral jurisprudence. The book proposes a public policy framework more aligned with our maturing Constitution that may be better suited to current conditions, based on an empirical approach to legal management of morals in a pluralistic liberal democracy.

New York. Read-Me.Org Inc. 2024. 313p.

The Portable ENLIGHTENMENT READER

MAY CONTAIN MARKUP

Edited and with an Introduction By ISAAC KRAMNICK

The Portable Enlightenment Reader edited by Isaac Kramnick offers a curated selection of essential texts from the Age of Enlightenment, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the philosophical and intellectual movement that shaped Western thought. With insightful commentary and analysis by Kramnick, this anthology presents the works of renowned thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Kant, exploring key themes of reason, freedom, and progress. Whether you are a student of history, philosophy, or simply curious about this transformative period in human history, The Portable Enlightenment Reader is a valuable companion that illuminates the ideas that continue to influence our world today.

NY. LONDON. PENGUIN. 1995. 703p.