Philosophy of Law
Legal philosophy from MIT OpenCourseWare examines what law is, how it relates to morality, and how judges should interpret it. Topics include the obligation to obey the law, theories of punishment and responsibility, liberty and its limits, and legal ethics. The course draws on classic and contemporary texts in jurisprudence, including debates between natural law theorists and legal positivists, and applies these frameworks to real problems like civil disobedience and the justification of criminal punishment. Materials include a syllabus, readings drawn from philosophers and legal theorists, and assignments that ask students to construct and evaluate arguments about legal obligation and interpretation. No certificate is offered, but the full reading list and structure of an MIT undergraduate philosophy course are freely available for self-study.