Justice and the State
In the first part of this course, we will examine historical conceptions of political legitimacy. Political legitimacy is often thought to entail a State’s authority to coerce its citizens and a citizen’s obligation to obey the law. Authors will include Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. In the second part, we will analyze contemporary justifications and criticisms of political legitimacy. In the third part, we will examine different State "punishment" practices when a citizen is accused of committing a crime..Throughout the course, students will be engaged with questions concerning the moral relationship between citizen and state, and students in this course will research and develop positions on specific criminal justice reforms from a moral point of view. 3hrs. Lect.