Closing Arguments: Clarence Darrow on Religion, Law, and Society by Clarence Darrow

by Clarence Darrow

Closing Arguments collects many of Clarence Darrow's uncollected writings on religion, law, society, and related subjects, revealing a carefully conceived philosophy expressed with pungency and clarity. His thoughts on social issues, especially on the dangers of religious fundamentalism, are uncannily prescient.

Genres: Sociology, Biography, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published August 15, 2005

About the author

in 1857, Clarence Darrow, later dubbed "Attorney for the Damned" and "the Great Defender," was born. For a time he lived in an Ohio home that had served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. His father was known as the "village infidel." Darrow attended the University of Michigan Law School for one year, then passed the bar in 1878 and moved to Chicago. There he joined protests against the trumped-up charges against four radicals accused in the Haymarket Riot case. Darrow became corporate counsel to the City of Chicago, then counsel for the North Western Railway. He quit this lucrative post when he could no longer defend their treatment of injured workers, then went on to defend without pay Socialist striker Eugene V. Debs. In 1907, Darrow successfully defended labor activist "Big Bill" Haywood, charged with assassinating a former governor. His passionate denunciation of the death penalty prompted him to defend the famous killers, Loeb and Leopold, who received life sentences in 1924.

His most celebrated case was the Scopes Trial, defending teacher John Scopes in Dayton, Tenn., who was charged with the crime of teaching evolution in the public schools. Darrow's brilliant cross-examination of prosecuting attorney William Jennings Bryan lives on in legal history. During the trial, Darrow said: "I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure—that is all that agnosticism means." Darrow wrote many freethought articles and edited a freethought collection. His two appealing autobiographies are The Story of My Life (1932), containing his plainspoken views on religion, and Farmington (1932). He also wrote Resist Not Evil (1902), An Eye for An Eye (1905), and Crime, Its Causes and Treatments (1925). His freethought writings are collected into Why I Am an Agnostic and Other Essays. He told The New York Times, "Religion is the belief in future life and in God. I don't believe in either" (April 19, 1936). D. 1938.

More: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/monkeytr...

http://darrow.law.umn.edu/index.php?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/...

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history...

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before this book, I did not know that I loved Clarence Darrow but now I know that I do. Despite the 100+ years separating us, his works really resonated for me. He argued eloquently about women's rights and about equality and equity and our broken justice system and criminal reform. All of that was fascinating and I found myself saying, "yeah, yeah, YEAH!". CW for outdated (racist) terms while he argued absolutely against a lot of the racist concepts of his day. We need another Clarence Darrow. Only 3 star because it was a little bit dry and the transcripts of the debates could feel a little one-sided because we only hear Darrow's points. But, still a lovely read if you're interested in social justice.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Darrow's thoughts on such subjects as women's rights, the law, and his own upbringing as a child of a coffin maker. Darrow was a major advocate for women's rights and this was during the time women were campaigning for the right to vote. He says

"we have been told this evening by the opponents of woman suffrage what is the best kind of woman, what they think is woman's proper business, a women's duties. and what make a woman lovely and all that. One gallant gentleman says that he does not know any women who want to vote, although he is familiar with their sex, and would not want to know any woman who desired to vote. I don't know what kind of women the gentleman is acquainted with, but if they are women who have no ideas above such as are usually found in drawing-room or kitchen talk, then perhaps he is acquainted with just such women as he ought to be, and would not appreciate a broad-minded women, with sense and intellect, if he happened to meet her. Very likely in that society man chooses those who with the countless wiles that men have allowed women to use, have told him he was good looking when he was not; have told him he was smart when he was foolish; have told him he was great when he was small." (p.172)

What a progressive thinker!


This is my favorite quote from the book:

"If there ever comes a time when intellect and conscience rule the world, that day will know neither rich nor poor, neither high nor low, neither man nor woman, neither bondman nor free."

Mr. Darrow's reputation as an outstanding criminal defense attorney lives on over 70 years from his death. I think one of the things that enabled him to achieve such success was his unshakable belief in the rights of the accused to be represented with superior legal counsel in order to ensure justice everywhere. I think Mr. Darrow and Martin Luther King Jr. could have sat down and had an extremely engaging conversation. It was King who said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

I felt reading this book of Darrow's own thoughts from his writings was in some way enabling his memory to live on. It's amazing to learn from this man who lived over 70 years ago. His beliefs on religion, law, and society are still relevant today. In fact, I think he is still rather progressive for even today's age.

Highly recommend for those who like historical biographies, for lawyers, or just history buffs.