What role does law play in our world today?
Law enters our lives in myriad ways, both requiring things of us and providing avenues for accomplishing our goals. It can be a tool of oppression and liberation; it can provide cover for unscrupulous actors and checks on bad behavior; and it can bewilder and shine light on moral quandaries. A philosophical approach to these issues is crucial to understanding them and their importance to contemporary societies.
The Law & Philosophy minor is designed to give students an understanding of the fundamental theories, concepts, and methodologies of the intersecting disciplines of law and philosophy (especially jurisprudence, logic, and ethics). Students of the minor will examine a wide variety of issues. Course work will thematize topical controversies such as the morality of the death penalty, theories of criminality and punishment, the viability of liberalism, causation in tort, or the appellate process in US federal courts. And, importantly, students will develop skills in reading closely, developing arguments, engaging in research, and questioning assumptions. Both the content and skills emphasized in the minor provide, alongside a student’s major area of study, a measure of preparation for law school and careers in law, public service, business, medicine, non-profit advocacy, and the environment.