Law, Liberty , and Philosophy

Catalog description

This course analyses and critically evaluates distinct and sometimes competing conceptions of civil and political society, focusing on the central role of law and liberty.  Primary questions to be addressed include the following: What arguments do philosophers offer to promote these different conceptions?  What is the role of nature, economics, and history in these views?  How do philosophical arguments on these topics help us think about the meaning of a just and humane society?  The course will encourage students to examine their own beliefs about law, liberty, and society, and provide them with the philosophical tools to do so.