Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Summary

As a jurist and a legal writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935), contributed mightily to the debate in the early 20th century concerning the role of law in a rapidly changing America.The U.S. g... Read more

In the following essay, originally published in 1896 in the Harvard Law Review, Holmes details his belief that legal considerations should rely on empiricism and reason rather than traditional absolut... Read more

In the following essay, White follows Holmes's image in America, from his extreme popularity to the later disillusionment about his ideals widely adopted after his death. Occasionally the Am... Read more

In the following essay, Auchincloss provides an overview of Holmes's life and career. Few men have seen as much of our history, and from such advantageous viewpoints, as Oliver Wendell Holme... Read more

In the following essay, Burton recounts major influences on Holmes's thinking and surveys his early writings. The law was part of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s, natural inheritance. La... Read more

In the following review of The Dissenting Opinions of Mr. Justice Holmes, originally published in the American Mercury in May 1930, Mencken pronounces Holmes's decisions "interesting as ... Read more

In the following essay, Boorstin examines Holmes's social philosophy outside of the constitutional issues he decided professionally. The thought and personality of Mr. Justice Holmes have su... Read more

In the following essay, Bernstein argues that Holmes's social and political philosophy were not ideologically liberal, but that Holmes was actually a classical conservative. A cherished Amer... Read more

In the following essay, Padover discusses Holmes's role on the Supreme Court as a pragmatic dissenter. When twentieth-century Americans speak of judges, they are likely to think first of Oli... Read more