Postgraduate coursework

LAWS6827 - Legal Responsibility & Philosophy of Mind

Objectives

Examine the contemporary philosophical work on free will, consciousness, mind and causation.
Apply this work to present problems in regard to the concepts of legal responsibility.

Content

Ascribing fault or blame for conduct; the ascription of some mental element, whether it be mens rea in the case of crime, or the lesser notions of fault relied upon in civil liability; intentional mental states which caused the conduct for which defendants are blamed.

Session

Semester 2 2013
Tuesday Evenings, 6-8pm

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

Class Presentation (30%)
1 x 5,000 Word Essay (70%)

or

1 x 7,500 Word Essay (100%)

Textbook

Lowe:EJ, An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind, Cambridge U.P., Cambridge 2000

Legal Professional Development (LPD)

You can credit this unit towards Legal Professional Development (LPD). Units of study that are part of Sydney Law School’s Postgraduate Program meet the necessary Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) of the Law Society of New South Wales and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of the New South Wales Bar Association. You may complete this unit of study by enrolling on a non-degree basis or on an audit basis only with no assessment via Single Unit Enrolment.