«Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos». John Fortescue alle origini del comparativismo costituzionale e giuridico

John Fortescue’s most original contribution to late medieval political philosophy has to be found in the way he based his views upon observation of existing constitutions as well as upon analysis of historical precedents. While describing his famous «royal and political lordship», he drew heavily on his own great experience of English constitution and English law in order to answer the main questions raised by previous political thinkers and, in particular, to provide a means of preventing kingship from degenerating into a tyranny. As a result, Fortescue’s political theory was deeply influenced by his comparison of the law of England with the law of France and the civil one.