Legal Philosophy - Bachelor
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters
- Spring
- Course code
- JUS2312
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
- Reading list
Course description
Objectives and Content
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
After successful completion of this course, students will have:
- Broad knowledge of key debates in international legal philosophy, including about the rule of law.
- Familiarity with critical perspectives on law, the methodology of legal philosophy, and with debates about the role of precedents and reason-giving in legal argumentation
Skills and general competence
Students will also have developed certain skills and general competence, including:
- The ability to distinguish and discuss central positions in legal philosophy, and to use such sources to present arguments in the course
- compare and evaluate differences between central positions in international discourse of legal philosophy
- identify, discuss and state opinions about the character and role of legal argumentation in a modern democratic society based on the rule of law.
- use such competence and skills both orally and in writing
- refer correctly in writing
- cooperate with law students from other countries, and gain perspectives on common legal challenges from students from a legal background different than their own,
- contribute with perspectives from their own country and legal background
- present and evaluate legal analyses and points of view in English, both orally and in writing
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Combined with Legal Philosophy JUS273-2-A or JUS3512 Legal Philosophy this course will generate no new credits.
The course combines well with any of the elective courses offered at the Faculty of Law, but in particular with:
Access to the Course
The course is available for students:
- admitted to the five-year master programme in law
- exchange students at the Faculty of Law
The pre-requirements may still limit certain students' access to the course.
Teaching and learning methods
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Compulsory attendance at lectures/seminars.
Each student must give a short presentation in a lecture/seminar.
Mandatory paper of maximum 1500 words (excluding footnotes), of a topic announced during the course. The paper will be awarded a pass/no pass. No grade will be given. Students who have failed the paper will be given an opportunity to write a new paper prior to the exam.
Forms of Assessment
3-hour digital school exam.
Students who do not pass the examination may re-sit in the following semester if the mandatory assignment or activity has been approved and when the examination result is due to
- legitimate reason for non-attendance (see Section 3-7, paragraph 3 b in the Supplementary Regulations)
- failed result
For rules regarding voluntary re-sit, see Section 3-5.
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
Course Evaluation
Examination Support Material
Students may bring their own copy of a bilingual dictionary to/from English and any other language, in one or two volumes.
For further info see section 3-9 of the Supplementary Regulations for Studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen.