News: Minor in Law, Ethics, & Philosophy Announced The minor includes two required courses plus a choice of three electives from ten courses, all of which promote the skills mentioned in the previous paragraph. These courses, which constitute a cohesive set, cover the fundamental principles and the historical development of ethical and legal thought along with an introduction to relevant areas in philosophy. It will provide students both the epistemic background and the analytical tools to address some of the most critical contemporary issues in law and ethics. The minor requires completion of 15 credit hours. All upper-level (3000-level and above) courses must be taken at the University of Georgia. Only PHIL 2030, Introduction to Ethics, may be transferred from another institution. Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 to earn the minor. Philosophy majors also have the opportunity to focus on preparation for a career in law by following the Pre-Law Track course of study. Required Courses (6 hours): PHIL 2030, Introduction to Ethics (3 hours) - This course will familiarize students with the foundational concepts in ethics and thus provide a solid basis for courses that they will subsequently take as part of their completion of the minor. PHIL 4240/6240, Philosophy of Law (3 hours) - The nature and function of law, with emphasis on the interpretation and application of law in the judicial process. Readings in classical and contemporary schools of the philosophy of law. Elective Courses (9 hours) Choose three of the following courses: PHIL 3200, Ethical Theory (3 hours) - The nature and justification of fundamental ethical concepts and moral principles. PHIL 3210, Feminist Philosophy (3 hours) - Philosophical investigation and evaluation of feminist philosophy, examining such approaches as liberal feminism, socialist feminism, radical feminism, ecofeminism, and other feminist approaches. PHIL 3220, Biomedical Ethics (3 hours) - Ethical and philosophical issues that arise in the context of medicine and bioresearch. Many ethical issues arise in health care contexts. This course will introduce students to some important problems in this area, and will help them to develop a framework for their resolution. PHIL 3230, Ethics of Food (3 hours) - Introduces students to an array of ethical issues regarding contemporary food production, marketing, distribution, access, regulation, and consumption. Students will consider the ethical significance of individual food choices, as well as food policy decisions. PHIL 3610, Theory of Knowledge (3 hours) - Basic problems and issues in the theory of knowledge, such as: What is truth? Can we acquire knowledge independently of experience? How can we justify our beliefs? Are inductive generalizations justified? PHIL 3700S Criminal Justice Ethics (3 hours) This course explores ethical and philosophical issues in the domains of criminal justice—for example, theories of punishment and rehabilitation, the legitimacy of prisons, the ethics of policing, and broader questions surrounding the treatment of the incarcerated. PHIL 4210/6210, Social and Political Philosophy (3 hours) - The nature and function of society and the state, human freedom and rights, and the bases of social and political obligations. PHIL(EETH) 4220/6220, Environmental Ethics (3 hours) - Major professional and nonprofessional writings in the field of environmental ethics. PHIL 4700/6700, Philosophy and Race (3 hours) - An exploration of several topics related to philosophy and race: race and racism in the history of Western philosophy; contemporary and historical meanings and understandings of racial categorization; challenges to white supremacist philosophical paradigms; and the significance of matters of race for philosophical investigations concerning identity, politics, ethics, and religion. JURI 3233/JURI 3233E, Foundations of American Law (3 hours) - An introduction to legal reasoning, fundamental law and policy argumentative tools, the various types of legal institutions, the administrative state, and the interpretation of statutes and the Constitution. Foundational study will lead to legally sophisticated analyses and discussions concerning recently argued or decided Supreme Court cases. OR JURI 2990, Law, Justice, and the State (3 hours) -JURI 2990 introduces students to the ways that lawyers, historians, social scientists, and others evaluate the law’s relationship to justice, the state, and democracy, and helps them understand how those relationships have shaped and been shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political ideas and institutions.
