The 1215 agreement between King John and his rebellious barons. The panel examines how a failed peace treaty between medieval elites became the foundation of constitutional liberty — a transformation its authors never intended.
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Highlights
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Documents can acquire meanings their authors never intended
Magna Carta was written to protect baronial privileges. It became a charter of universal rights. The gap between original intention and historical significance is enormous.
Rights are not discovered — they are constructed through reinterpretation
The 'ancient rights' that Magna Carta supposedly enshrined were largely invented by later interpreters. Rights do not pre-exist their articulation — they are created through the process of claiming them.