POL 323 - Jurisprudence: What is Law

3 credits
What is law? What is the relationship between law and morality? What ends should the law serve? How are judges and justices to interpret the meaning of the law to particular cases? When, if ever, is it justified to disobey the law? These questions will be explored from various philosophical perspectives. These include natural law theory (Stoics, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke), command theory (John Austin), legal positivist theories (J.S. Mill, H.L.A. Hart, Oliver Wendell Holmes), and legal interpretivist theory (Ronald Dworkin). Emphasis is placed on reading from the original texts, applying the theories toward analyzing actual legal cases and public policies, as well as developing one’s own logical positions on these questions. All of this is accomplished within a Christian worldview.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor
Term Offered: Odd spring semesters

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