PHIL 453 - Topics in Philosophy of Law

(3 units) CO8

Study of the meaning of law, its positive and normative function, justice, legal reasoning, and of legal theorists such as Aquinas, Hobbes, Rawls, and Dworkin.

Prerequisite(s): 6 credits in Philosophy.

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 3
Offered: Every Fall and Spring

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. state a thesis about a problem in the philosophy of law, and provide evidence and philosophical argument (including replies to counter-arguments) in its defense.
2. explain and interpret the ideas associated with philosophical theories of law in the philosophical literature.
3. distinguish better and worse reasoning, and recognize relevant logical relationships and patterns of inference in different legal theories.
4. show what is at stake in abstract debates in the philosophy of law, and indicate how different positions in these debates help elucidate our understanding of the Constitutions of the United States and Nevada, as well as the evolution of American institutions and ideals.
5. trace the sources and development of important legal concepts within American intellectual traditions and cultural institutions.

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