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"This country and this people seem to have been made for each other, and it appears as if it was the design of Providence, that an inheritance so proper and convenient for a band of brethren... should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties." So wrote John Jay, one of the revolutionary authors of The Federalist Papers, arguing that if the United States was truly to be a single nation, its leaders would have to agree on universally binding rules of governance--in short, a constitution. In a brilliant set of essays, Jay and his colleagues Alexander Hamilton and James Madison explored in minute detail the implications of establishing a kind of rule that would engage as many citizens as possible and that would include a system of checks and balances. Their arguments proved successful in the end, and The Federalist Papers stand as key documents in the founding of the United States. 內容簡介
Originally published anonymously, The Federalist Papers first appeared in 1787 as a series of letters to New York newspapers exhorting voters to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States. Still hotly debated, and open to often controversial interpretations, the arguments first presented here by three of America's greatest patriots and political theorists were created during a critical moment in our nation's history, providing readers with a running ideological commentary on the crucial issues facing democracy.
Today The Federalist Papers are as important and vital a rallying cry for freedom as ever. 作者簡介
Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies in 1757, the illegitimate child of a Scottish merchant. He came to the American colonies to study at King's College (now Columbia University), and became an early and ardent supporter of the Revolutionary cause. During the Revolutionary War he was aide-de-camp to George Washington and a member of the Continental Congress. He was a leading figure at the Constitutional Convention (1787) and a principal author of The Federalist Papers. At first Secretary of the Treasury he articulated a policy of protection for manufacturing interests, strong central government, and establishment of a national bank. After leaving the Cabinet, he practiced law in New York. His personal attacks hindered the political career of the volatile Aaron Burr, who finally challenged him to a duel in 1804. Hamilton was shot, and died of his wounds.
John Jay (1747-1829) was a conservative lawyer who became a leading patriot. He was a minister to Spain (1780-82), the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1789-95), and he negotiated the treaty of 1795 between the U.S. and Britain. His contributions to The Federalist Papers concern foreign affairs.
James Madison was born in 1751, the son of a Virginia planter. He worked for the Revolutionary cause as a member of the Continental Congress and the Virginia House of Delegates. The leader of deliberations at the Constitutional Convention, he fought for the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Through an ally of Hamilton on the Constitution he was a supporter of Jefferson's agrarian policies. He was Jefferson's Secretary of State (1801-9) and his successor as president (1809-17), but his presidency was marred by the unpopular War of 1812. Madison died in 1836. 精彩書評
If I could expose my school-age children to only one audiobook series, the Audio Classics Series would be it. The approach is always the same: A skilled narrator lays out the subject in concise, nicely written phrases; actors interspersed play the parts of luminaries of the tale. Every actor in The Federalist Papers is believable, playing parts such as George Washington, Gouveneur Morris and Thomas Paine, among many others. These learning experiences are some of the best among audio adaptations. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
《漢謨拉比法典》:一部穿越時空的法律巨著 作者: 佚名(古巴比倫法典的編纂者們) 譯者: 郭沫若(或依據不同版本選擇相關著名漢學傢) 齣版社: 商務印書館(或其他權威齣版社) 頁數: 約 400 頁(視譯本和注釋詳略而定) 裝幀: 精裝/平裝 --- 導言:文明的基石與永恒的迴響 《漢謨拉比法典》,這部刻在黑色玄武岩圓柱上的不朽文獻,不僅僅是一部古老的法律匯編,它更是一扇通往公元前十八世紀美索不達米亞文明核心的窗口。它以其近乎完整的條文和清晰的結構,嚮世人展示瞭古代世界最早期的、係統化的國傢權力運作模式和詳細的社會規範。這部法典的發現,是考古學和法製史研究領域的一座裏程碑,其意義深遠,影響至今。 本書旨在全麵、細緻地介紹《漢謨拉比法典》的文本、曆史背景、法律結構及其對後世法律思想的潛在影響。我們力求提供一個既紮實又易於理解的導讀,讓讀者能夠超越時空的限製,與這位古巴比倫的國王進行一次深刻的對話。 第一部分:曆史的塵埃與法典的誕生 一、美索不達米亞的文明背景 本書首先會鋪陳開來,描繪法典所誕生的那個時代——古巴比倫王國鼎盛時期的社會圖景。我們將探討兩河流域獨特的地理環境如何孕育瞭灌溉農業文明,以及圍繞著農業生産和水資源分配所産生的復雜的社會關係。 文明的脈絡: 簡述蘇美爾、阿卡德到巴比倫王朝的興衰,確立漢謨拉比(公元前1792年—前1750年在位)在曆史上的地位。 王權的構建: 重點分析漢謨拉比如何通過軍事徵服與內政改革,建立起一個相對統一、穩定的中央集權帝國。法典,正是這一集權過程中的關鍵工具。 二、法典的發現與物質載體 法典的物質存在是其研究價值的核心。我們將詳細描述這塊著名的“漢謨拉比法典石碑”的發現曆史。 發現曆程: 追溯法國考古學傢雅剋·德·摩根(Jacques de Morgan)於1901年在古城蘇薩(今伊朗境內)發掘齣石碑的激動人心的過程。 石碑的結構分析: 詳細解讀石碑上的雕刻藝術——頂部漢謨拉比從太陽神沙瑪什(Shamash)手中接受權力的浮雕,這象徵著法律的“神授”性,而非純粹的“人定”。 文本的解讀: 介紹法典主要由楔形文字泥闆(後被轉刻於石碑)記錄,其語言為古巴比倫方言。 第二部分:法典的結構與核心原則 《漢謨拉比法典》並非雜亂無章的法律條文集閤,而是一個高度係統化的法律體係。本書將深入解析其獨特的結構:序言、正文(282條)和結語。 一、序言:王權的宣示與正義的理想 序言部分是理解漢謨拉比立法的哲學基礎至關重要。它詳細闡述瞭漢謨拉比自詡為“受神命,為消除世間不義,使強不淩弱,使弱者得享太平”的仁慈君主。 神聖閤法性: 分析法典如何將政治統治與神權緊密捆綁,確保法律的絕對權威。 社會理想: 探討法典所宣揚的社會秩序藍圖——一個由等級製度維護的穩定社會。 二、正文:等級森嚴的法律矩陣 法典的282條規定涵蓋瞭刑法、民法、商法、婚姻法、土地法等多個領域,構成瞭古代世界最早的“法典”雛形。核心的分析集中在法典的實體內容: “以眼還眼,以牙還牙”(Lex Talionis): 對等報復原則的詳盡分析。本書將探討該原則在不同社會階層中的適用差異。 身份與責任的關聯: 詳細梳理法典中區分的三個主要社會階層——阿維魯姆(自由人)、穆什肯努姆(平民/依附者)和奴隸。法律責任、賠償數額和人身安全保障在不同階層之間存在顯著區彆,揭示瞭古代社會嚴格的身份政治。 財産與閤同法: 探討有關土地租賃、債務償還、高利貸限製以及貨物毀損的詳細規定,反映瞭當時商業活動的復雜性。 傢庭與婚姻法: 深入解析有關娶妻、離婚、繼承權以及“不孕妻子”的處理方式,體現瞭父權製社會中女性的法律地位。 職業責任法: 重點分析對醫生、建築師、船夫等特定職業者的責任追究,其中涉及的“如果建築師蓋的房子塌瞭,導緻主人死亡,則該建築師應處死”等條款,極具震撼力。 三、結語:永恒的詛咒與法典的效力 結語部分預示瞭任何試圖篡改或破壞法典的人將遭受神靈的懲罰,這不僅是法律的結束語,更是維護法律穩定性的宗教宣言。 第三部分:解讀與影響 本書的最後部分將超越法典文本本身,探討其在曆史長河中的地位與作用。 一、神授法與世俗法之間的張力 雖然法典宣稱源於神祇,但其絕大部分內容處理的是具體的世俗事務。我們將探討古巴比倫的司法實踐是如何在神權理想和實際的社會管理需求之間尋求平衡的。法典的齣現,標誌著法律從部落習慣嚮國傢成文法的重大轉變。 二、對後世法律思想的輻射 《漢謨拉比法典》的“對等報復”原則對後世法律産生瞭深遠影響,尤其是在猶太律法(如《齣埃及記》)和部分早期羅馬法思想中留下瞭印記。本書會對比分析這些相似性與差異性,指齣它如何成為西方法律傳統重要的“前史”。 三、作為社會史的法典 最終,法典不僅僅是一部法律書,它是一份活生生的社會檔案。通過閱讀條文,我們可以重建古巴比倫的經濟結構、傢庭倫理、醫療水平乃至基礎設施建設的標準。它揭示瞭一個高度組織化、重視秩序與契約精神的古代帝國麵貌。 結語 《漢謨拉比法典》以其堅硬的石碑和清晰的文字,嚮我們證明瞭人類對“公正”的追求可以追溯到數韆年前。它提醒著我們,法律的本質在於在復雜的人類互動中劃定邊界,並以一種可預見的方式處理衝突。閱讀這部古老的法典,就是在聆聽人類文明早期對於秩序與公平的莊嚴宣告。它是一部關於權力、責任、懲罰與和平的教科書,其價值曆久彌新。