This is a course in legal philosophy, or jurisprudence as it is also
sometimes called. The course will be divided into two parts. In the
first, we will ask: What kind of laws should we have? or What kind
of laws would an ethical legislature enact? In the second and
somewhat longer part, we will turn to philosophical investigations
into the nature of law. We will ask: What is law? What is a legal
system? How is law different from mere coercion on the one hand and
morality on the other? The authors whose works we will be examining
include: John Austin, J.S. Mill, H.L.A. Hart, and Ronald Dworkin.


Potential students are advised that this course is not a law course.
Nor is it a preparatory course for law school. It is a philosophy
course requiring much detailed analytical work in reading and
writing.