I want to respond briefly to Jack’s post, though I would like to think more deeply about his points over the next day or two. It is true that I am not an originalist, and it is also true that Jack’s account of originalism is gaining traction in the academy. Now he asks why I should care about what originalism is (at least before I convert to the true faith).
The answer draws from Pam Karlan’s observation that originalism is undergoing a form of genericide. In trademark law, a brand becomes generic if it comes to refer to the class of goods itself (e.g., aspirin used to be a mark for the product and now just is the product). That’s harmful primarily to the brand owner that loses its powerful trademark rights, but it could also be harmful to the public by robbing it of a clear differentiation between products. (Indeed, courts have been hesitant in recent years to declare an established mark generic.)
Personally, I think that there is considerable value in retaining a sharp distinction between constitutional theories (Practice is a different matter, since courts almost never use a consistent theory.) It just seems to me that once anything can be labelled as originalist, then that term is no longer useful and may just obscure the truth. Perhaps my desire for conceptual clarity is a fool’s errand, as Tom Colby’s work establishes that the definition of originalism has never been stable. I’m not convinced, though, that I am wrong. Alas, as it is after midnight, I am convinced that I’m done for the night.)
If you’d like to read Pam’s essay that addresses this issue, here is the link
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