LAW 450 - Philosophy of Law

A survey of problems generated by philosophical reflection on the law. The central topic will be the fundamental nature of the law. Is the law reducible to social facts? To morality? To neither of these things? But other topics will also be dealt with, including: the structure of legal systems, the nature and possibility of authority, whether there is a moral duty to obey the law, the status of international law, the lawmaking role of courts, and the effect of semantic and moral theories on adjudication. Classics in the field - including John Austin, H.L.A. Hart, Hans Kelsen, Ronald Dworkin, Joseph Raz and the American Legal Realists - will be discussed, as will arguments by some more recent writers.

Students can choose to have this course satisfy the writing requirement or not.