COLL: THEORIES OF LAW AND AMERICAN CONST

This class will take up a range of debates within philosophy of law, with emphasis on the relationship between law, morality and various types of polities. We will explore a variety of approaches to the philosophy of law, including natural law theory and legal positivism, as well as rights-based, interpretive, and ideal legal theories. In addition to a survey of major theories in the philosophy of law, we will explore the principles that shape the United States Constitution – both in historical perspective, and with regard to theories of constitutional interpretation deployed by the current US Supreme Court. We explore these themes with in depth analysis of seminal cases, such as Dred Scott v. Sandford, Dobbs v. Jackson, and Trump v. United States.