大宪章史话
大宪章与戴维·斯塔基
We take our liberties for granted.They seem absolute and untouchable.But they are the result of a series of violent struggles fought over 800 years that,at times,have threatened to tear our society apart.On the frontline was a document originally inked on animal skin – Magna Carta.Distinguished constitutional historian David Starkey looks at the origins of the Great Charter in 1215 to check the abuses of King John - and how it nearly died at birth.He explores its subsequent deployment,its contribution to making everyone – even the monarch – subject to the rule of law,and how this quintessentially English document migrated to the North American colonies and eventually became the foundation of the US constitution.Magna Carta has become a universal symbol of individual freedom against the tyranny of the state,but with ever-tightening government control on our lives,is it time to resurrect it?
