PHIL 3330

This course will provide a general philosophical analysis of law and legal institutions. The course will explore the nature and purpose of law as found in theories such as natural law theory, positivism and critical legal studies. Students will critically examine the justification of laws and how, if at all, the law is connected with morality. Additionally, the course will examine the nature of legal responsibility, and the purpose of and justification for punishment. The course may also look at the nature of legal reasoning in judicial decisions, for example Supreme Court decisions. Course readings may be selected from both historical and contemporary sources.