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Unit of study_
LAWS6308: Philosophy of Law
2025 unit information
The main objective of this unit is to provide a critical understanding of the fundamental principles of legal theory and philosophy of law. The unit will discuss, in particular, the concept of law, the notions of obligation, authority, and legitimacy of law; the main theories of legal interpretation; the special role of the concept of rights in legal theory, and the principles determining the moral limits of legal coercion. The learning objectives and outcomes are: To help students understand the key concepts regarding philosophy of law; to equip students with capacity to conduct critical analysis of specific controversial issues regarding philosophy of law; to assist students in appreciating variety of approaches to philosophy of law in the world today.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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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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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. create advanced descriptions of the key concepts and ideas that underpin notions of legitimacy, validity, authority of law, rights, and justice.
- LO2. critically evaluate different approaches to philosophy of law.
- LO3. critically analyse specific controversial issues regarding philosophy of law.
- LO4. synthesise concepts and ideas from materials (unit readings, notes, commentary etc.) and critically reflect on the central issues in the philosophy of law (law as general, abstract, and normative rather than concrete).
- LO5. develop advanced written and oral legal arguments (and philosophical positions) to respond to questions about the law, rights, liberty, proportionality, justice, and equity.
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.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
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Intensive August 2025
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Block mode | Germany |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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Important enrolment information
Departmental permission requirements
If you see the ‘Departmental Permission’ tag below a session, it means you need faculty or school approval to enrol. This may be because it’s an advanced unit, clinical placement, offshore unit, internship or there are limited places available.
You will be prompted to apply for departmental permission when you select this unit in Sydney Student.
Read our information on departmental permission.
Additional advice
Eligible students must successfully register in this offshore unit with Sydney Law School before applying for departmental permission in Sydney Student. For registration details, please visit Offshore Study https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/experiential-learning-offshore-study.
