2025-2026 Catalog

PHIL-318 Philosophy of Law

This class focuses on philosophical issues in four core areas of law; tort law, contract law,property law, and criminal law. It is intended to both introduce students to these areas of law andemphasize the range of issues covered by the law. By understanding these different areas of law, we can come to build a more general understanding about the role that a system of law as a whole should have in society. We also do not focus on what the law is. Instead, we discuss challenges in applying, interpreting, and constructing law. The class will also develop analytic and writing skills. Much of the legal system has developed on the basis of clear argumentation and analysis by judges and lawyers. So, our engagement with the topic will attempt to mimic these skills. We will ask whether the arguments that authors make are good arguments, and we will work on articulating our own views as clearly as possible.

Credits

4

Prerequisite

Student has completed any of the following course(s) Undergraduate Philosophy 100 - 599

Offered

Fall, Spring