In praise of intransigence : the perils of flexibility /

Weisberg (constitutional law, Cardozo Sch. of Law, Yeshiva Univ.) challenges the widely held belief that one should always be flexible in confronting new circumstances. He does so not in defense of rigid dogmatism but rather to point out that people have often developed traditions and rules that have a sound basis in experience. Therefore, the best way to deal with a new situation is often to adhere to one's principles. Weisberg offers a wide range of illustrations of his point. For example, the efforts of the Vichy government in France and the British authorities in the Channel Islands during World War II to be flexible in their dealings with the Nazis led to morally questionable policies. Further, Weisberg holds that the Christians of the New Testament, led by their flexibility in altering traditional ideas of the messiah, lashed out against those who retained earlier views; the hostile characterization of Judaism in the New Testament became a prime cause of anti-Semitism. Weisberg's respect for tradition does not lead him to support the originalist school of constitutional interpretation that is often associated with the political right. To the contrary, he argues that a proper respect for tradition promotes liberal values. VERDICT Readers interested in legal theory, moral philosophy, and literature will gain much from this provocative and insightful study that compares favorably with Avishai Margalit's On Compromise and Rotten Compromises.-David Gordon, Bowling Green State Univ., OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.