This module introduces students to a broad range of theoretical critiques of conventional and traditionally doctrinal legal scholarship. In the Part One, we examine how classical thinkers still pose crucial challenges to contemporary conceptions of law, drawing in particular upon ancient Greek justice theory, notably in writings of Plato and Aristotle. In Part Two, we ask how contemporary law can be critiqued as a product of the post-Renaissance nation state, from the standpoint of early modern and Enlightenment thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Mill. In Part Three, we examine current liberal critiques of law, such as economic analysis and the Rule of Law critique. In Part Four, we conclude with various strands of critical theory, including Marx, Foucault, and feminist authors.
15 Credits