Legal Studies (LGST) 482

Overview

LGST 482: Jurisprudence is an examination of fundamental philosophy of law principles underlying the Canadian (common law) legal system, along with related traditional objections and contemporary critical theories: feminist, Aboriginal and other. Topics include developing a critical philosophical approach; defining law; morality versus law; theories of liberty, autonomy, rights, justice and equality; culture, nationalism and colonialism; the rule of law and civil disobedience; and the impact of formal adjudication versus alternative dispute resolution.

Outline

• Unit 1: The Nature of Jurisprudence
• Unit 2: Differences Between Morality and Law
  • Part I: Defining Law
  • Part II: Distinguishing Law and Morality
  • Part III: Four Main Approaches to Law
• Unit 3: Theories of Liberty and Autonomy
• Unit 4: Theories of Rights and Justice
• Unit 5: Law and Equality
• Unit 6: Culture versus Law, Nationalism and Colonialism
• Unit 7: The Rule of Law and Civil Disobedience
  • Part I: The Rule of Law
  • Part II: Civil Disobedience
• Unit 8: Adjudication versus Mediation
• Unit 9: Conclusion

Evaluation

To receive credit for LGST 482, you must complete all of the assignments, and obtain a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

Other Materials

All other course materials are available online.

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
• Request assistance
• Support services