Study

The course introduces students to major themes in legal theory, such as: what sort of thing is law, where does it come from, what are its purposes, and what makes it legitimate (if it is)? How is law connected with other sources of social order, such as politics, the state, the economy, and cultural identity? The first part of the course (somewhat more than half) will introduce canonical treatments of these issues, especially in the Anglophone tradition of legal and political philosophy, with special attention to how law mediates situations of profound disagreement and conflict. The second part of the course will turn to contemporary and global themes, contrasting the earlier material with key non-Western (or non Global North) treatments of these themes and sampling important recent writings in legal theory.

This course will offer an additional 4th credit for students using the class to satisfy SRWP. The 4th credit must be requested before the end of drop/add (September 4).

Special Notes:

*new*

Fall 2024

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
365.01	Course Credits 3	Research and/or analytical paper(s), 10-15 pages	Jedediah Purdy
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/42898