PHI 2205 - Law, Morality and the Cinema

What is the relationship between our laws and our systems of moral values?  How have our ethical beliefs influenced the creation, development and the functioning of our legal system, our statutes and our court decisions?  This course explores the contributions of philosophers from Plato to legal theorists such as Finnis and Dworkin.  The course will introduce the student to numerous teachings from a host of scholars, philosophers and theorists who have considered ethical theory and its impact on our legal system. The natural law/positive law distinction will be explored, but the course will also consider how our basic rights as set forth in The Bill Of Rights are interpreted by jurists.  Emphasis will be placed on the guarantees of the First Amendment to our Constitution, our trial rights as set forth under various amendments to the Constitution and our due process rights as set forth in the Constitution and Bill Of Rights. Various selected movies will be used as a vehicle for enhancing the discussion of the dynamics existing between the law and our moral beliefs.
McDaniel Plan: Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding