this book explores the origins of anglo-american constitutionalism, from both a philosophical and a historical perspective. it attempts to show that the institutional mechanisms incorporated into the american constitution were modeled under a strong bias against collective discussion. the book also examines the alternative institutional system then proposed by a different and more radical tradition of thought, and evaluates this alternative from the ideal of a deliberate democracy. the scepter of reason challenges much of the current academic literature on the philosophical foundations of modern constitutionalism, and advances suggestions for a different approach. it will be particularly attractive for legal scholars, political scientists, and graduate and undergraduate students interested in constitutional theory, anglo-american history, and democratic theory.