Decoding the Constitution: Interpretation Challenges

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This chapter explores the complexities of interpreting historical texts, particularly the U.S. Constitution, through the lens of a year-long experiment in living constitutionally. It examines the challenges posed by evolving language, cultural contexts, and the differing philosophies of originalism versus living constitutionalism. The discussion highlights how personal biases and societal norms shape our understanding of key terms and concepts within constitutional law, particularly focusing on the Second Amendment.

In this episode we sit down with A.J. Jacobs, a journalist who noticed some striking similarities between Biblical fundamentalism and constitutional originalism, and since he once wrote a NYT bestselling book about titled The Year of Living Biblically in which he tried to live for a year as a fundamentalist, he tried to do something similar by living for a year following the Constitution's original meaning as if he were an originalist and then writing a book about it. He soon learned that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket, though fully within one's constitutional rights, will quickly lead to some difficult encounters and altogether strange circumstances.

The Year of Living Constitutionally

AJ Jacobs' Website

AJ Jacobs' Twitter

How Minds Change

David McRaney’s Twitter