| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | |
| I: What is Law? | ||
| 2–3 | What is the difference between laws and commands? | |
| 4 | How do we determine the content of laws? Do laws have moral content? | |
| 5–6 | How should judges interpret the law? | |
| II: The Obligation to Obey the Law | ||
| 7–8 | Is there an obligation to obey the law? Skepticism about political obligation… | Short paper #1 due |
| 9–10 | Optimism about political obligation… | Paper #1 revision due |
| 11 | Should we sometimes disobey the law? | |
| III: Responsibility and Punishment | ||
| 12 | When exactly does an act cause harm? | |
| 13 | Where does the burden of proof lie? | Short paper #2 due |
| 14 | What counts as evidence of guilt / liability? | |
| 15–16 | Is it appropriate to punish acts that "successfully" cause harm (e.g., murder, vehicular manslaughter) more severely than similar acts which, merely as a matter of good luck, do not? | Paper #2 revision due |
| 17–18 | What, if anything, justifies punishment of offenders by the state? | |
| IV: Harm, Liberties, and the Law | ||
| 19–20 | When is the state justified in interfering in the lives of its citizens? | Short paper #3 due |
| 21–22 | What are the justifications for and limits of freedom of speech? | |
| 23 | Can we harm people by bringing them into existence, and should we be liable for that harm? | |
| V: Legal Ethics | ||
| 24–26 | What special ethical problems do lawyers face? Screening of the motion picture "Reversal of Fortune". | Final paper due |