Philosophy of Law

Catalog description

Law and legal practice are an inextricable part of all our lives. We constantly, but often unknowingly, conform our behavior to the laws of our city, state, and country. The law exercises substantial control over our lives and threatens to harm us if we do not conform. And yet, the rise of legal systems is arguably one of the most positive developments in human civilization, making possible substantial developments in human welfare. We will be exploring these, and other, aspects of law and legal systems. We will focus on questions related to the structure of legal systems, the law’s authority, the relationship between law and morality, the interpretation of legal texts, and attempts to justify legal punishment.