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6 - Constitutional Identity as a Source of Ontological Security

from Part I - Foundations, Theory, and Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2024

By
Joanne Wallis
Edited by
Ran Hirschl  and
Yaniv Roznai
Ran Hirschl
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Yaniv Roznai
Affiliation:
Reichman University, Israel
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Summary

This chapter considers how Gary Jacobsohn’s concept of ‘constitutional identity’ can ‘travel’ from the discipline of law to that of international relations, with a particular focus on how it can inform analyses of the ‘ontological security’ of states. The concept of ontological security is used to understand subjectivity and focuses on managing anxiety in the constitution of self-identity. When a state is ontologically insecure this can challenge its ability to do, act, and be. Using a case study of Timor-Leste, this chapter argues that a constitution – and the constitutional identity it generates – can contribute to creating a sense of ontological (in)security for a state and its people. A constitution can provide answers to existential questions and help to define a state’s self-identity by narrating a sense of biographical continuity and by establishing the institutions and practices that build the routines required to create a protective cocoon for a state’s citizenry.

Keywords

constitutional identityconstitution-makingontological securityTimor-Leste
Type
Chapter
Information
Deciphering the Genome of Constitutionalism
The Foundations and Future of Constitutional Identity
 , pp. 76 - 88
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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