Il penumbral reasoning nella giurisprudenza nordamericana

In the U.S landmark case Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Justice William O. Douglas wrote that the Constitution implies the existence of a fundamental right to privacy. This right was to be found in the grey zone of other constitutional protections, which he called penumbra. The essay addresses the concept of penumbra and its usage in the U.S Federal Justice case-law from the nineteenth century. At the end, it is suggested that the issue can be considered an exemplary case of American realism.