Methodologic reflections on Constitutional History

Authors

  • Joaquín Varela Suanzes-Carpegna Universidad de Oviedo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17811/hc.v0i8.39

Keywords:

Concept, method and sources of the Constitutional History

Abstract

In this article, I define Constitutional History as a History branch, with a strong legal content, which studies the origin and development of the Liberal and Democratic-Liberal state, using an axiological concept of Constitution. From this definition I approach to some of the problems that present the historical study of norms and institutions, and, mainly, the historical study of doctrines and constitutional concepts. I stress the necessity of not to make an interpretation of past doctrines and concepts from the present, however the categories developed by the State and Constitutional Theory must be taken into account. With the before mentioned objective, I use some examples from the comparative constitutional history, which I have been studying during last 30 years.

Submission date: 13/01/2007
Acceptance date: 27/04/2007

Author Biography

Joaquín Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Universidad de Oviedo

Catedrático de Derecho Constitucional de la Universidad de Oviedo e Investigador del Instituto Feijoo de Estudios del Siglo XVIII. Amplió estudios en las Universidades de Londres y París, así como en el Instituto Universitario Europeo de Florencia. Ha sido profesor invitado en el “El Colegio de México” y en diversas Universidades de Cuba, Argentina, Italia, Francia, Brasil y España. Entre su centenar de publicaciones destacan sus libros La Teoría del Estado en los orígenes del constitucionalismo hispánico (1983); Sistema de gobierno y partidos políticos: de Locke a Park (2002, traducido al italiano en 2007); El Conde de Toreno. Biografía de un liberal (2005); Asturianos en la política española (2006); y, Política y Constitución en España (1808-1978) (2007). Fundador y director de "Historia Constitucional", codirige también "Fundamentos”, y forma parte del consejo de redacción de varias revistas en España e Italia. Ha codirigido la colección "Clásicos Asturianos del Pensamiento Político” y en la actualidad dirige la colección “Clásicos Políticos”, editada por el Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales de Madrid, de cuyo consejo editorial forma parte.

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Issue

No. 8 (2007): Historia Constitucional N. 8 (2007)

Section

Methodology

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