LAW 880SEM - Political Obligation Seminar

Should we obey law? And should judges and police? Philosophers long presumed that obedience to law was both a virtue and a duty. Yet today, most moral and legal philosophers deny that law can affect our moral duties, and so embrace philosophical anarchism. Early philosophical anarchists defended civil disobedience by the civil rights and peace movements, but drew on classical liberal principles later deployed against progressive policies like regulation and redistribution. Philosophical anarchism offers powerful arguments, but challenges institutions like democracy and the rule of law that may seem increasingly precarious, and yet necessary for solving big problems like global warming. Students will read and discuss contributions to this debate, present orally, and submit a seminar paper.

Credits: 3