PHIL 226 - Law, Morality, and Punishment

FC ARHU

4 credits
This course offers a critical examination of foundational questions in the philosophy of law. We will consider what distinguishes law from other social norms, whether or not it is fundamentally tied to morality, and what its essential purpose might be. We will then assess theories of legal authority, asking what, if anything, justifies the law’s power over individuals and why we should obey it. Attention will then turn to the role of judges, particularly in resolving difficult constitutional cases, and the interpretive methods they employ. Finally, we will analyze theories of punishment, interrogating how societies justify and implement responses to lawbreaking in both principle and practice. Through these inquiries, we will engage with classic and contemporary debates about the law’s role in shaping political and social life.

Prerequisites: One course in Philosophy.