LAWS 3042 Jurisprudence
Credit Points 10
Legacy Code 200649
Coordinator Bradley Gooding Opens in new window
Description This unit engages students in the critical analysis of modern law through reflection on the major traditions and contemporary practices of legal theory. The Unit encourages students to examine and question key legal concepts that inform the law, such as power, morality and truth. Students will interpret, analyse, justify and critique issues and ideas using tools of critical reflection drawn from texts in legal philosophy, ancient to modern. In this way, they will develop tools that allow them to understand and uncover the foundational ideas and assumptions on which we base our view of the law and its consequences, leaving students well-placed to embark upon systematic inquiries in legal reform and further studies in legal theory.
School Law
Discipline Law, Not Elsewhere Classified.
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject
Pre-requisite(s) LAWS 1006 OR
LAWS 1003 AND
LAWS 1008 OR
LAWS 1009
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate theoretical perspectives on the conceptualisation of law and its institutions.
- Critique constructs of legal philosophy regarding the nature and role of law and legislation.
- Use the tools of jurisprudential legal theory to cultivate theoretical appreciations, and expressive critiques, of concepts of law as they manifest in practical and academic discourses.
- Propose solutions to problems in the philosophy of law through the interpretation, justification and critique of theoretical propositions.
Subject Content
- The Autonomy of Legal Thought and the Professionalization of Legal Service
- The History of Jurisprudence
- The Positivism versus Natural Law Dichotomy, and its Evolution in Contemporary Jurisprudence
- The Role of Interpretation in Legal Reasoning and Adjudication
- Contemporary Challenges to the Ideology of the Anglophone Legal Tradition
- An Introduction to Postmodern Critiques of Western Law and Liberalism
- The Premises and Functions of Critical Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory
- Global Challenges to Legal Thought, such as Legal Pluralism and Movements Towards Ecolegality
- Case Studies in the Transformation of Fundamental Legal Concepts (Rights, Jurisdiction, the Liberal Individual)
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
| Item | Length | Percent | Threshold | Individual/Group Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 15-20 minutes | 30 | N | Individual |
| Reflection | 3,000 words | 25 | N | Individual |
| Essay | Ongoing | 45 | N | Individual |
Teaching Periods
Summer A
Parramatta - Victoria Rd
Day
Subject Contact Bradley Gooding Opens in new window