Course Information

796.20 - Law, History and Philosophy Seminar

Professor: Howard P. Fink
Semester: 2010 Autumn

Second Writing Requirement? Yes
Seminar? Yes
Professional Responsibility? No
Prerequisites: None

Course Description

The seminar concentrates on student research, leadership of discussions and writing a paper on topics involving law, history and philosophy. For example, we discuss the impact of law and philosophy and religion upon turning points in American history, such as the American Revolution, and the drafting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; the problem of slavery and the Civil War and its aftermath; “Jim Crow” and the civil rights movement; the Great Depression and the New Deal.

Students can also choose from such subjects as Marxism and conservative responses thereto, traditional schools of jurisprudence, theories of law and literature, theories of the nature of the state, and modern jurisprudential philosophies such as critical legal studies, critical race theory, sociological jurisprudence, and feminist legal theory. In recent years we have added topics of current interest, including the impact upon American law of perceived threats of terrorism, scientific issues such as climate change, the Internet, cloning and stem cell research and the prolongation of life and the crisis of finance we face. Students may also choose, in consultation with the professor, to do a related topic of particular personal interest.

During the term, students will write a seminar paper on the topic they have chosen. Classes will consist largely of student-led discussion, assisted by and added to by the professor.

The course materials listed above are for informational purposes only and should not be considered final. Students must check with the Registrar for a current list of closed courses.