Constitutionalization of Law and Constitutional Culture

Abstract

The article analyses the difficulties to export the principles of constitutionalism
where «constitutional» culture is different from the Western one. In addition, it aims to underline internal contradictions and the abandonment of some key principles that inspired it (such as «no taxation without representation» to «fraternité»), as well as the attack on the core vaules of the constitution by the so called «neoconstitutionalism». It then focuses on the characteristics of some conceptions of the law that are deemed to be antithetical to constitutionalism, or that propose different axiologies of values. In particular, the study points out that some recent experiences based on the constitutionalisation of traditions do offer solutions compatible with the Western ones, by emphazising some latent features.

Summary:
1. Defining the relevant lexical items. — 1.1. «Law». — 1.2. «Constitution». — 1.3. «Constitutionalism».— 1.4. «Legal Culture» and «Constitutional Culture». — 2. Constitutionalising the Law. — 2.1. Civil codes; or: the «constitutions» of the bourgeois. — 2.2. Disseminating the constitutions and constitutionalism. — 2.3. Constitutionalism under siege: the challenges of neo-constitutionalism. —3. Incorporating Traditional Law: formal constitutionalism and its rejection. — 3.1. The resilience of legal traditions. — 3.2. Religious Law. — 3.2.1 Hindu Law. — 3.2.2.— Confucianism. — 3.2.3. Japanese Law. — 3.2.4. Islamic Law. — 3.3. Soviet Law. — 4. Cleavages between constitutionalism and culture. — 5. Law and culture: the legacy of their syncretism.