Law 217 requires at least one previous course in philosophy or consent of instructor
This course is an introduction to contemporary philosophy of law. Topics will include some of the following: the nature of law; the relation between law and morality; the obligation to obey the law; adjudication; debates over constitutional and statutory interpretation; the justification of punishment; the insanity defense.
The reading will be focused on contemporary theorists such as H.L.A. Hart, Ronald Dworkin, and Joseph Raz.