The year 2019 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Chilean Constitution, approved under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. With multiple and relevant amendments, this Constitution remains in force. However, those who criticize its legitimacy continue to do so on the grounds of its origin. The aim of this paper is to explore, from the standpoint of political and legal theory (John Finnis, Eric Voegelin), why a Constitution’s origin does not necessarily determine its legitimacy. In addition, all of this refers to a deeper and more relevant problem for constitutionalism: its relationship with contractualism. We will argue that reflecting on this is fundamental for public law in modern times.

Our 2020 Annual Conference was scheduled to be held at the University of Wrocław in Poland on July 9-11, 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICON·S Executive Committee has decided to postpone our 2020 Conference to 2021. Our next Annual Conference will take place from July 8-10, 2021, in Wrocław, Poland.
Procedural details regarding the organization of the 2021 Conference will follow in the months ahead.
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