Abstract

MATOS, Sérgio Campos. Tradition and Modernity in Portuguese Liberal Political Culture: on the Topic of the Constitution. e-JPH [online]. 2016, vol.14, n.2, pp.51-71. ISSN 1645-6432.

How did the first waves of Liberalism in Portugal relate to tradition and modernity? The focus of this article is on a topic that had much currency in the 1810s and 1820s, in Portugal as well as in Spain, being prominent both in Liberal discourse and public opinion, namely the Constitution. It was a concept used both within Liberal culture and by supporters of the Ancien Régime. It was a cause that mobilized public opinion towards political transformation, but it also embodied traditional values. To what extent were constitutions seen as instruments for framing politics? And what was the political function of historical constitutionalism?

Keywords : Tradition; modernity; Constitution; historical constitutionalism; liberalism.

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