Importance of Constitutional Values and Duties: The Italian Case

Abstract

At a time in history of major international crisis, where global political compulsion threatens the solidity of Western cultural pillars, it is necessary to appeal to the set of values that modern constitutional charters have consecrated as a project of peace, coexistence, and respect for the human person (with all its dimensions). Similarly, as a direct corollary to the profound respect that constitutional values require, it is essential to remember that the citizen is called upon to fulfill a series of duties on which the harmonious balance of the community, as a juridical-political community, is dependent. This entry will attempt to understand how this conception – typical of the most remote space-time coordinates of Western culture – cannot be undermined and, vice versa, needs to be valued in times of fragility such as the present. Here, with the hope of encountering a constructive and responsible path, the hard core of the Italian Magna Carta will be the guide.