This course examines past and contemporary political and ethical debates that have shaped, clarified and transformed the meaning of the foundations of the American democratic-republic. At every turn, political and ethical debates in American politics have focused on the meaning of the principles of equality and consent and the moral implications of individual rights. The course will address topics such as the moral foundations of the Founding, the moral character of the Union, the injustice of slavery in a regime dedicated to the principle of equality, justice and the Civil Rights movement, and the progressive critique of the Founding, the rise of the entitlement state and its critiques, as well as current political and ethical controversies. Special attention will be paid to the political speeches of those directly involved in the debates.

This course considers some fundamental and enduring problems about the nature of law and its relationship to society. Legal philosophers, judges, academic lawyers, and political scientists give very different answers to the following questions: What is law? Does law have a function and if so, what is it? Is there a relationship between law and morality? Do citizens have an obligation to comply with law, and if so, what is the nature of that obligation? How does that obligation arise? Do we have an obligation to comply with unjust laws? How should judges in a democratic society decide legal disputes? Our goal is to consider whether and how such questions might be answered. We will consider a variety of recent contributions to legal theory that draw from political and moral philosophy. Readings may be drawn from sources ranging from Ancient philosophy, to most important scholarly contributions and landmark cases in American law and society.

This course investigates developments in law and technology, as well as broader interactions between new technologies, legal development, and social values and principles. We consider ethical and policy implications of new technologies, and the potential and limitations of laws regulating such technologies. Topics include free speech, cyberbullying, privacy, algorithmic bias, and criminal procedure in the digital age. The course will familiarize students with reading legal cases, contemporary scholarly commentary and legislation.