Stephen E. Sachs

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Writings

This is a collection of some of the essays, articles, etc. that I've written. They include some of my academic publications, my school papers, my articles for The Harvard Crimson, some references to things I've gotten published in other newspapers, and several papers written for a high school history competition. You can also read my papers posted on SSRN, or my occasionally-updated web log at stevesachs.blogspot.com.

Academic Publications

From St. Ives to Cyberspace: The Modern Distortion of the Medieval 'Law Merchant,' 21 AM. U. INT'L REV. 685 (2006). St. Ives was the site of one of the four or five largest fairs in medieval England. This Article uses the records of the fair court as a case study, challenging the view that trade in the Middle Ages was governed by a private, cosmopolitan law known as the lex mercatoria, or 'law merchant.'

Comment, Saving Toby: Extortion, Blackmail, and the Right to Destroy, 24 YALE L. & POL'Y REV. 251 (2006). This lighthearted Comment discusses the application of extortion law to the poor, threatened rabbit of SaveToby.com. It has been awarded Yale's Jewell Prize for the best second-year student contribution to a Law School journal other than the Yale Law Journal.

School Papers

These are some of the papers I've written while in college and elsewhere, as well as one of my favorites from high school. The topics are a little narrow -- too narrow for me to worry much about plagiarism -- but I hope you find some of them interesting.

Philosophy and Politics
- Is Objective Consequentialism Self-Defeating? An argument against certain "consequentialist" moral theories such as act-utilitarianism, using arguments developed by philosophers Derek Parfit and Donald Regan. Written for the Ethics tutorial of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- Catastrophic Terrorism and the International System. A discussion of the changing nature of global terrorism, the difficulties in addressing it through multilateral means, and the reasons that would favor unilateral and preventive action by a targeted state. Written for the International Relations tutorial of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- The Changing Definition of Security. An examination of new concepts of "security" in international relations, including attempts to replace traditional approaches with a focus on "human security." Written for the International Relations tutorial of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- Self-Determination and Disorder. A critique of standard notions of self-determination (especially that forwarded by Michael Walzer's "The Reform of the State System"), arguing that national identity is neither a right nor necessarily conducive to peace. Written for the International Relations tutorial of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- Communitarianism and Rightness. A response to the communitarian critique of liberalism, specifically focusing on Michael Sandel's Liberalism and the Limits of Justice. Written for the Theory of Politics tutorial of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- Sins of Commission: Repressive Regimes and the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. An examination of the human rights records of Commission members since 1972. Written using statistical analysis in SPSS to satisfy an "information technology" requirement for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University.
- 'Intensional' Aspects of Names in Russell and Frege. A comparison of how Bertrand Russell and Gottlob Frege understood the way that a name can refer to an object. Written for Philosophy 141, "Frege, Russell and the Early Wittgenstein."
- On God's Justice and Free Will. An imagined dialogue between St. Augustine and the character Thrasymachus. The opinions expressed therein are intended to be those of the characters, not those of the author. Written for Moral Reasoning 54, "'If There is No God, All is Permitted': Theism and Moral Reasoning."
- Dialogue at the Restaurant of Cerberus. Another dialogue, this time between Plato, Parmenides, Heraclitus, and the hapless Malapropus. Written for Mr. Harned's "Introduction to Philosophy" course in 11th grade. This one was fun to write.
Medieval History
- The 'Law Merchant' and the Fair Court of St. Ives, 1270-1324 (also available in PDF format). Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in History; awarded the Philip Washburn Prize for the best thesis on a historical subject, and among those awarded the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for scholarly work or research.
- Burying Burton: Burton v. Davy and the Law of Negotiable Instruments, an examination of a 15th-century case which has often been (incorrectly) cited as early evidence of the development of negotiable bills of exchange. Written for Medieval Studies 117, "Constitutional and Legal History of Medieval England."
- Subinfeudation and Subterfuge: The Role of Quia Emptores in English Feudalism, an analysis of a statute of Edward I that prohibited subinfeudation and has been accused of ushering in an era of "bastard feudalism." Written for History 1133, "Medieval England."
- Money and Power in The Course of the Exchequer, a term paper on a 12th-century description of the workings of the English Treasury. Written for History 1101, "Medieval Europe."
- New Math: The 'Countinghouse Theory' and the Medieval Revival of Arithmetic, a discussion of how knowledge of arithmetic and algebra spread in the Middle Ages. Written for History 90a, "Major Themes in Medieval History."
- Hidden Interest: The Prohibition of Usury, and its Evasion, in the Commercial Revolution. In the Middle Ages, the Church forbade loans at interest; this paper is on how enterprising merchants got around the restrictions. Written for History 1136, "Romanesque Southern France."
Other History, Literature and Art
- Turning Aliens into Citizens: Americanization and the Foreign Language Laws. In the 1920s, a number of states passed laws that restricted the teaching of foreign languages. Many of the laws' supporters were motivated by bigotry or anti-immigrant prejudice, but the laws were also supported by a high-minded ideology of Americanization. Written for History 98a, the Honors Research Seminar.
- The Well-Nurtured Soul: Freedom, Dependence, the Pilgrim and His Guides, a discussion of the role of free will in Dante's Divine Comedy. Written for Literature and Arts A-26, "Dante's Divine Comedy and its World." Winner of the 1999 Dante Prize, awarded by the Dante Society of America.
- Material and Immaterial (and Expensive): The Defense of Artistic Expenditure at St.-Denis, a study of the great cathedral and Abbot Suger's justification of its cost. Written for History of Art and Architecture 14, "Introduction to Medieval Art."

The Harvard Crimson

Some of the Crimson archives were wiped out in The Great Server Crash of January 1999, so a few things are missing. C'est la vie... The rest can be found here, as well as indexed below.

Columns
- Not in Good Hands, published May 22, 2001.
- Death and Taxes, published April 23, 2001.
- Robin Hood in Reverse, published April 9, 2001.
- Democratizing Harvard, published March 19, 2001.
- A Different 'Ethnic Studies', published March 5, 2001.
- Violence and Valentine's, published Feb. 19, 2001.
- Harvard's Enron Investigation, published Feb. 5, 2001.
- Nonsense on Stilts, published Jan. 18, 2001.
- A Matter of Principles, published Jan. 4, 2001.
- The Dead Hand of Harvard, published Dec. 4, 2001.
- Watch What We Say, published Nov. 20, 2001.
- The New World Order, published Nov. 6, 2001.
- What's Wrong With Final Clubs, published Oct. 23, 2001.
- 'Enter To Grow in Wisdom', published Oct. 9, 2001. Received honorable mention in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's 2002 College Gold Circle Awards.
- The Truth is Out There, published Sept. 19, 2001.
- Let Them Fail, published May 1, 2001.
- Milking the Memo, published April 17, 2001.
- Keeping Quiet on Social Security, published April 3, 2001.
- Questioning Homosexuality, published March 13, 2001.
- The Next Round for Napster, published February 27, 2001.
- The False Apocalypse, published February 13, 2001.
- Technicalities, published January 10, 2001.
- Last Column of the Millennium, published December 19, 2000.
- Protesting Expression at Tufts, published December 5, 2000.
- Of Liberty and License, published November 21, 2000.
- Of Candidates and Character, published November 7, 2000.
- Heart of Darkness, published October 24, 2000.
- De-toothing Carnivore, published October 10, 2000.
- Standing in the Courthouse Door, published September 26, 2000.
- A Call to Serve, published September 11, 2000.
Op-Ed Pieces and Editorial Notebooks
- We Are Not Spineless, published February 18, 2005.
- Parting Shot: How To Change the World, published June 6, 2002.
- Postcard from Washington: The Clone Wars, published June 29, 2001.
- In Defense of Pluto, published February 28, 2001.
- Politics and Potables, published October 3, 2000.
- The World's Not Over Yet, published May 5, 2000.
- The Quality of Texas Justice, published April 17, 2000.
- Pat Buchanan Hates Clowns?, published March 16, 2000.
- Anyone Can Be President Online, published February 23, 2000.
- What You See is What You Get, published January 26, 2000.
- Creativity, Bit by Bit, published November 30, 1999.
- Political (and Other) Casualties in Missouri, published November 16, 1999.
- George W.'s Leap of Faith, published September 15, 1999.
- Hey, Batter, Batter, published April 30, 1999.
- Big Brother Wants A Decoder Ring, published April 14, 1999.
- Keeping Steel Fetters Off Trade, published March 22, 1999.
- A Hitchhiker's Guide to Annenberg, published December 8, 1998.
- For Felons, an Unjust Political Death, published November 20, 1998.
Dissents to Staff Editorials
- Don't Destroy Liberty to Save It, responding to Give Police Better Tools, published September 20, 2001.
- Inconsistent on Discipline, responding to Welcome Resolution to Sit-in, published May 9, 2001.
- Students Deserve a Role, published April 24, 2001.
- Let Taiwan Defend Itself, responding to Don't Sell Arms to Taiwan, published April 3, 2001.
- UHS Made the Right Decision, published February 23, 2001.
- Don't Keep Students Separate, published February 14, 2001.
- Ask Students Before Raising Term Bill, published December 8, 2000, responding to Raising the Council's Fee, published December 6, 2000.
- A Fait Accompli at the Institute of Politics, published November 15, 2000, responding to Changing the Guard, published November 14, 2000.
- Students' Rights Come First, responding to Show Us More Money, published October 20, 2000.
- Change the Policy, published March 13, 2000.
- Paying Our Dues, published November 23, 1999.
- Harvard's Job Is Education, published November 10, 1999.
- Respect Student Choice, published September 21, 1999.
'Dartboards'
- The Passing of Pi Day, published March 16, 2001.
- The Fall of Man: An Ode, published September 22, 2000.
- Living on Big Brother's Allowance, published January 7, 2000.
- Dead Weight Gain, published May 7, 1999.
News Articles
- Greenspan to Speak at June Commencement, published March 25, 1999.
- Harvard Foundation, HRAACF Smooth Over Differences, published February 19, 1999.
- Wilson Joins Anti-Logging Campaign, published October 16, 1998.
- Ticket Sales for Harvard-Yale Game Off to Sluggish Start, published October 14, 1998.
- Wilson Named to Internet Board, published October 7, 1998.
- HASCS Boosts Speed, Memory of FAS System, published September 23, 1998.
Letters to the Editor
- Religious Spending Does Not Conflict With Church vs. State, published March 8, 2004.
- Microwaves Are Legal, published October 15, 2002.

Newspaper Articles

I'd include links here, but unfortunately this content is copyrighted, and the newspapers don't give out their old archives for free. I can't see why not -- no one will pay money to see an article when they don't know what's in it -- but what I think isn't going to change it.

Op-Eds
- "The Justice System Must Be Improved," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 17, 2000, p. B-7.
- "When Only 'Good People' Have Rights," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aug. 10, 1999, p. B-15.
  (Cited in Stephanie Smith, Comment, Civil Banishment of Gang Members: Circumventing Criminal Due Process Requirements?, 67 U. Chi. L. Rev. 1461, 1467 n. 49 (Fall 2000).)
Letters to the Editor
- "The Risks of Unilateralism," Harvard Magazine, Nov-Dec. 2004, p. 8.
- "Government Funding In Stem Cell Research," Wall Street Journal, Sept. 6, 2001, p. A-23.
- "An Old Blue," Wall Street Journal, Feb. 11, 2000, p. A-15.
- "Medieval Stats," Washington Post, Dec. 23, 2000, p. A-21

History Day papers

National History Day was a great activity. I learned far more about how to write a research paper from doing History Day than I ever did in high school. (By the way, in case you don't notice, the footnotes were exempt from the length requirements...)

History Day 1997: Herbert Hoover: The Triumph and Tragedy of "American Individualism". Published in The Concord Review 8:4 (Summer 1998), pp. 15-42.
History Day 1996: "All the News That's Fit to Print": The New York Times and the Pentagon Papers
History Day 1995: The Imperium Christianum: Church and State in the Empire of Charles the Great
History Day 1994: Sarajevo: A Crossroads in History

About This Site

SteveSachs.com was originally developed by Stephen Sachs in December 1999. The server on which it resides is operated by Hurricane Electric. The corresponding blog began in November 2002, and is stored at BlogSpot. All CGI scripts employed in this site were written in gawk, a powerful and easy-to-learn scripting language which is a standard part of each Unix distribution.

About Me

I am a recent graduate of Yale Law School, and am currently working in Washington, D.C.

In July 2004, I returned to the U.S. after two years at Merton College, Oxford, pursuing a second B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

My previous degree was in history at Harvard University (Class of 2002), where I focused on medieval Europe and wrote for The Harvard Crimson. My greatest academic weakness, however, has always been handwriting.

I am a graduate of Clayton High School (Class of 1998) in Clayton, Missouri, where I also attended Wydown Middle School and Glenridge Elementary. Since kindergarten, I have been a master of the dance floor.

Disclaimer

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