Liberals and conservatives alike claim that there exists a right to privacy. They see it as a benign addition to the Bill of Rights, as an essentially individualistic principle that supplements the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When these latter are properly construed, however, no such supplement is necessary—or proper. What, then, is the (unstated) purpose and premise behind "the right to privacy"? And what are its effects on American law and on man's life? By examining privacy cases, as well as the 1890 article that started the modern trend, this course answers the above questions.