215.42 sec. 001 - Foundations of Legal Philosophy (Fall 2025)
Instructor: Christopher Lee Kutz (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
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Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 2:10 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: 2240 Piedmont 102
From August 18, 2025
To November 25, 2025
Course End: November 25, 2025
Class Number: 33665
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 0
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 24
As of: 04/08 07:13 AM
This course is an introduction to (primarily) analytical legal theory through a close reading of some of the most important texts and arguments about the nature of law and legal authority of the last 75 years. We will pay special attention to questions of the relation of law to politics, history, and morality, especially when law reflects existing hierarchies and divisions of power, and to questions about the philosophical justification (if there is one) for the special role of courts in maintaining political order. Among the authors we will read are: H.L.A. Hart, Hans Kelsen, Ronald Dworkin, Jurgen Habermas, Joseph Raz, Scott Shapiro, Seana Shiffrin, and Jeremy Waldron. While the course presupposes no prior work in philosophy or legal theory, the readings are mostly drawn from philosophy.
Exam Notes: (P) Final Paper
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Course Category: Jurisprudence and Social Policy (JSP)
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