Constitutionalism beyond Liberalism

Explores the possibilities of constitutionalism from diverse theoretical and comparative perspectives, particularly those from outside liberal and Anglo-European paradigms.

This volume presents constitutional theory and constitutional practice outside the liberal tradition and beyond European and American experiences in selected countries in the global South - China, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia - to interrogate and expand our understanding of the possibilities of constitutionalism as a human phenomenon.Constitutionalism beyond Liberalism bridges the gap between comparative constitutional law and constitutional theory. The volume uses the constitutional experience of countries in the global South - China, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia - to transcend the liberal conceptions of constitutionalism that currently dominate contemporary comparative constitutional discourse. The alternative conceptions examined include political constitutionalism, societal constitutionalism, state-based (Rousseau-ian) conceptions of constitutionalism, and geopolitical conceptions of constitutionalism. Through these examinations, the volume seeks to expand our appreciation of the human possibilities of constitutionalism, exploring constitutionalism not merely as a restriction on the powers of government, but also as a creating collective political and social possibilities in diverse geographical and historical settings.