Natural Law

Teacher(s)

Van Meerbeeck Jérémie;

Language

English

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

This course introduces the concept of Natural Law to students, exploring in particular its place in the history of legal thinking, the criticisms it faces and the questions it raises for lawyers.

Content

The course is divided into three parts.
The first part outlines the history of Natural Law in legal thought, starting from classical Natural law through to its (official) decline.
The second part examines the major objections raised against Natural Law.
The third part is devoted to contemporary questions that highlight the topicality of Natural Law, including its relationship with human rights, the general principles of law, the notion of equity, civil disobedience and nature’s rights.

Teaching methods

The course is an ex-cathedra lecture but aims, as far as possible, to be interactive. Lectures will take as their starting point texts read by students in advance, while the syllabus made available at the beginning of the course will include a table of contents and course material.

Evaluation methods

Assessment is by oral examination. The exam criteria include an evaluation of the student’s understanding and knowledge of the subjects covered during the course, as well as his/her critical judgment regarding contemporary issues of Natural Law.

Bibliography

Syllabus disponible dès le début du cours.

Faculty or entity

DRTB