Jurisprudence: Introduction to the Philosophy of Law

Study jurisprudence with the experts at the Surrey Centre for Law and Philosophy

On this course, you’ll explore the theory and nature of law from a philosophical perspective.

As you get to grips with key arguments and positions in the philosophy of law, you’ll learn how legal arguments are impacted by an understanding of the relation of law to morality.

You’ll be introduced to theories around how the law operates, its relation to economic incentives, and questions about the law’s treatment of contemporary social issues.

Familiarise yourself with legal philosophy

Professionals who must develop arguments for clients can apply jurisprudential thinking when they find themselves representing clients whose issues are legally uncertain.

This course will develop your understanding of how to use the philosophy of law to support the formation of legal arguments when the law runs out.

Study the philosophical and legal theory behind the law

When the legal authorities supporting a specific point are exhausted, a firm grasp of the theory behind law can help practitioners argue their points from a more basic perspective.

Under the guidance of academics at the University of Surrey School of Law, you’ll be encouraged to develop your own conclusions about whether law is dependent upon morality.

Study with fellows at the largest research centre for legal philosophy in the world

This course is created and led by academics with extensive experience teaching and writing on jurisprudence from the renowned Surrey Centre for Law and Philosophy (SCLP).

You’ll gain expert insights from Professor of Legal Philosophy, Dennis Patterson; Professor in Moral and Political Philosophy, Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco; Senior Lecturer, Christopher Taggart, and SCLP Co-Directors, Dr Kenneth Ehrenberg, Reader in Public Law and Legal Theory, and Dr Hrafn Asgeirsson, Reader in Philosophy and Law.

This course is designed for anyone curious about how the philosophy of law can impact legal decision-making.

It will be especially useful for current or prospective undergraduate law students looking to gain a basic understanding of the theories underlying law and legal systems to supplement or prepare for their studies.

Youtube videos feature in some steps of this course

This course is designed for anyone curious about how the philosophy of law can impact legal decision-making.

It will be especially useful for current or prospective undergraduate law students looking to gain a basic understanding of the theories underlying law and legal systems to supplement or prepare for their studies.

• Explore the concept of responsibility in law in relation to inadvertent actions.
• Reflect critically on how judges can guide citizens in their actions and the avoidance of negligent or inadvertent actions.
• Explain the difference between consequentialist and non-consequentialist normative reasoning.
• Describe the ‘economic analysis of law’ approach to what the law should be like and why.
• Compare and contrast the economic analysis of law to a traditional, rights-based approach.
• Discuss fundamental questions regarding the limits of law, with an emphasis on consent and autonomy.
• Reflect on how morality, law, and enforcement relate to each other in the context of contemporary social issues.
• Evaluate the uses and limitations of neuroscientific data in courts.
• Explain the relationship between neuroscientific data and legal responsibility.
• Explore the relationship between law and morality.
• Explain basic jurisprudential positions and how to use them to assess arguments about how to apply and reform the law.
• Debate moral and legal scenarios using normative reasoning.
• Compare and contrast four key theories in legal philosophy: strong and weak natural law, and classic and modern legal positivism.