This capstone course presents a philosophical approach to the study of the nature of law. What is law? Why does law exist? Where does law come from? Is law universal or culturally rooted? What is the relationship of morality to law? Is law based on philosophy or ideology? Is law natural or man-made? Do alternatives to law exist? What does law teach us about our society, our values, and ourselves? Cadets will then explore notions of justice, morality, criminal responsibility and mental impairment, and examine the inherent tensions between individual liberty and legal order. Cadets will also study the role of U.S. judges in reviewing contemporary legal issues as well as radical contemporary challenges to mainstream legal theory and practice.
Lessons
40 @ 55 min (2.500 Att/wk)
Labs
0 @ 0 min
Special requirements
A single paper which philosophically examines a broad concern of the legal discipline in light of all the courses taken in the field of study and draws together the possibilities and limitations of the discipline.
