Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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HDDR1317 - Natural Law



Credits : 4

Lecturer :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , second term, 30 hours of theory.

Timetable :
Second term
Tuesday from 17:15 to 19:15 at 43 Botanique 5

Language of instruction :
The course is taught in French.

Learning outcomes :
- To introduce students to the tradition of natural law
- To examine a series of philosophical criticisms aimed at natural law
- To study the range and the current criteria of the legitimation of the main contemporary concepts drawn from natural law: the notion of human rights

Prerequisites :
For the Bachelor in Law :

For the Bachelor in Law (Evening Programme) :

For the Bachelor in Philosophy :


Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
Part One - THE TRADITION OF NATURAL LAW
Chapter I - Traditional Natural Law
Preliminaries - the Criticism of Justice by the Sophists
Section I - The Natural Order of the Ideal City According to Plato
Section II - Natural Justice According to Aristotle
Section II - Stoicism
Chapter II - Modern Natural Law
Preliminaries - the Legitimisation of the Modern State: Problems and Perspectives
Section I - Hobbes
Section II - Locke
Part Two - NATURAL LAW: PROBLEMS AND CRITICISMS
Single chapter - Philosophical Criticisms
Section I - The Kantian Theory of Law
Section II - from Empiricism to Utilitarianism
Section III - Historicism
Section IV - Marxism
Section V - Nietzsche
Part Three - BEYOND NATURAL LAW : DETERMINATION AND JUSTIFICATION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Chapter I - The Discursive Theory of Rights
Chapter II - Fundamental Rights and Democracy
Chapter III - The Justification of the Legitimacy of Rights

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Lectures

Assessment methods and criteria :
Oral or written examination, based on a question drawn at random by each student.

Recommended or required reading :
The bibliography is included in the detailed course outline.