courses / Undergraduate Courses / Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy

Rhetoric 1A/1B
Undergraduate Courses
010 Intro to Practical Reasoning
010 Intro to Practical Reasoning F13
010 Modern Reason Session A
010 Modern Reason
020 Rhetoric of Interpretation Session D
020 Rhetoric of Interpretation Su13
020 Rhetorical Interpretation (Sp 13)
024 Ansel Adams's Fiat Lux and the Visual Rhetoric of Berkeley in the 1960s
024 Arguing with Judge Judy
024 Bad Books and How to Spot Them
024 Decoding the Mysteries of Literature
10 Intro to Practical Reasoning Session A
10 Introduction to Practical Reasoning
103A Are We Not Men?  Classical Rhetoric for Real

 

103A Classical Rhetorical Theory
103A History of Rhet Theory I Su13
103A History of Rhet Theory I
103A History of Rhetorical Theory I F13
103A Introduction to Rhetorical Theory Session A
103B History of Rhet Theory II Su13
103B History of Rhetorical Theory II Session D
103B History of Rhetorical Theory II
103B History of Rhetorical Theory Session D
104 Before and After the Digital
104 The Unconscious in Modern Culture
105T Religious and Moral Alternatives in Greco-Roman Antiquity
105T Rhetoric of Religious Discourse
106 Rhetoric of Historical Discourse F13
106 Rhetoric of Historical Discourse
106 Rhetoric of Historical Discourse
107 Rhetoric of Scientific Discourse
108 Rhetoric of Philosophical Discourse
109 Aesthetics and Rhetoric
110 Advanced Argumentation
112 Rhetoric of Narrative Genres in Non-Literate Societies (Sp 13)
114 Rhetoric of Digital Media
118 Theory & Practice of Reading & Interpretation F13
118 Theory and Practice of Reading and Interpretation
121 Rhetoric of Fiction (Sp 13)
121 Rhetoric of Fiction Session A
121 The Rhetoric of Selfhood in the Graphic Novel Session A
122 Rhetoric of Drama
124 Rhetoric of Poetry
124 Rhetoric of Poetry
125 Poetry and Poetics
127 Novel, Society & Politics (Sp 13)
128T Rhetoric and Politics of Interviews
129 Rhetoric of Autobiography F13
129 Rhetoric of Autobiography
129AC Rhetoric of Autobiography
130 Adaptations of Female Gothic Horror
130 Novel Into Film
130 Novel into Film
131T Genre in Film and Literature
131T Screening Sex
131T The Western/Film Noir Hybrid
132T ‘Documentary’ Visions
132T Auteur in Film
132T The Films of Powell & Pressburger
133T Theories of Film
135T American National Identity in Film
135T Performance in Film
135T Selected Topics in Film
135T Selected Topics in Film
138 Rhetoric of Television Criticism
150 Rhet of Contemporary Politics F13
151 Rhetoric of Contact and Conquest
152AC Before the Civil War
152AC Race & Order in the New Republic F13
152AC Race & Order in the New Republic
152AC Race and Order in the New Republic
153 American Political Rhetoric
156 Dangerous Fictions
156 Political Fiction in the 18th Century
157A Modern Political Theory
157A Rhetoric of Modern Political Theory
157B Rhetoric of Contemporary Political Theory
159A Great Theorists in Political and Legal Theory
159B Great Themes in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Political and Legal Theory
160 Intro to Rhetoric of Legal Discourse Session D
160 Intro to the Rhet of Legal Discourse Su13
160 Intro to the Rhetoric of Legal Discourse Session D
160 Intro to the Rhetoric of Legal Discourse
165 Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy F13
165 Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy
166 Practices of Rhetoric, Law and Politics
167 Advanced Themes in Legal Theory, Philosophy, Argumentation
168 Advanced Themes in Contemporary Law & Legal Discourse
170 Rhetoric of Social Science
171 The Problem of Mass Culture & the Rhetoric of Social Theory
172 Rhetoric of Social Theory
182 Rhetorics of Sexual Exchange and Sexual Difference
20 The Rhetoric of Interpretation
Graduate Courses

Undergraduate Courses

Rhetoric 165: Rhetoric of Legal Philosophy



Scheduled
Spring 2012  Instructor(s)  Felipe Gutterriez

Legal philosophy is often divided into analytic and normative jurisprudence. Analytic jurisprudence, as a philosophy of law, seeks to differentiate legal norms from other societal norms such as ethics and morality. Analytic jurisprudence analyzes the linguistic uses, meanings, and evaluation of specific laws and legal concepts. Normative jurisprudence is a philosophy of law which seeks to analyze concrete questions of law and freedom. It directly addresses the validity and nature of legal obligations and the scope of legal power. In this course we examine two recent works in analytic and normative philosophy, Scott J. Shapiro’s Legality and Robin West’s Normative Jurisprudence: An Introduction. In Legality, Shapiro provides a novel answer to a fundamental question of analytic philosophy: “What is law?” Drawing on work in the philosophy of action, Shapiro argues that legal systems are best understood not simply as collections of rules but as highly complex and sophisticated tools for creating and applying plans. In Normative Jurisprudence, West examines the philosophical foundations of normative legal scholarship, concluding that in recent years it has lost its philosophical moorings. Her goal is to reinvigorate normative jurisprudence as well as the legal scholarship for which it serves as a foundation. We will look at the works of both Shapiro and West from the standpoints of argument, content and style. If time permits, we will also read several recent essays in analytic and normative jurisprudence in order to test Shapiro and West’s respective assessments of the field of contemporary jurisprudence.

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. The attendance policy will apply regardless of job interviews, family reunions, etc. Students who are enrolled but absent the first day of class will be dropped in favor of students who are present and wish to enroll. Two mid-terms and a final (some or all of which may be take-home) will be required.

Required Reading


West, Robin. Normative Jurisprudence: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (August 22, 2011).
ISBN-10:  0521738296
ISBN-13:  978-0521738293

Shapiro, Scott J. Legality. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (January 3, 2011).
ISBN-10: 0674055667
ISBN-13: 978-0674055667 

(Additional Readings available either online or in course reader.)