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Unit of study_
LAWS3517: The History of Legal Thought
2025 unit information
This unit of study introduces the history of legal theory through a critical reading of the central debates in jurisprudence over two centuries. Students will read canonical Anglo-American legal thinkers (from William Blackstone and Jeremy Bentham to Harold Laski and H.L.A. Hart) and their contemporary interlocutors (from Ram Mohan Roy and B.R. Ambedkar to Nelson Mandela and Mao Zedong). The unit situates each legal debate in their historical context exploring, especially the evolving political economy of capitalism. Students will develop skills in critical reading and writing that will assist them as lawyers engaged in contemporary Australian and international debates on the nature and future of law. This unit satisfies the Part 2 (Jurisprudence) requirement of the LLB.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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LAWS5217 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. analyse, evaluate, and critique legal and philosophical arguments
- LO2. demonstrate enhanced cultural competency through a critical engagement with Indigenous legal thought, as well as texts produced by theorists in and of the Global South.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
