Law, Power and Philosophy of Social Sciences (5op)

Arviointiasteikko

H-5

Tavoitteet

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:
• Comprehends the fundamental concepts and key ideas of contemporary philosophy of science.
• Recognizes the historical continuum of philosophical and social-philosophical conceptions of science.
• Demonstrates proficiency in analytically applying the theories of John Searle, Jacques Lacan, and Gilles Deleuze to the examination of social issues.
• Is familiar with the major figures in recent (social) philosophical debates on science and understands their core ideas.
• Understands the interrelation between law, philosophy of law, and legal research methodology within the context of modern social-philosophical and scientific discourse.
• Appreciates the significance of legal principles in the structure and application of law.

Toteutustavat

Course Structure:
1. Introduction & Searle’s Framework (Weeks 36–38)
2. 18th- and 19th-Century Thinkers (Weeks 39–40)
3. 20th-Century Theorists (Lacan, Benjamin, Foucault, Deleuze) (Weeks 41–44)
4. Comparative Discussion of Key Thinkers (Week 45)
5. Legal Theorists & Ethical Foundations (Weeks 46–49)
6. Final Session: Comparative Analysis & Exam Preparation (Week 50)

Tasks:
1. Pretask reading before very lecture (literature in Moodle)
2. Lectures (40 h)
3. Final home task (written work, 5 pages) or exam (dates to be agreed).

Sisältö

This course explores the history and philosophy of modern human and social sciences, emphasizing their interconnections with legal thought. The central aim is to understand the evolution of modern law within the broader framework of societal and social theory while critically reflecting on its implications for jurisprudence, research methodology, and ethical or moral foundations.

The course begins by examining the emergence of modern science and the diverse perspectives on it through the ideas of René Descartes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Georg W.F. Hegel, addressing skeptical, analytical, epistemological, and ontological approaches. It then traces the development of scientific thought in the 19th and 20th centuries by analyzing the contributions of key theorists such as Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, Karl Popper, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, as well as the rise of positivism and its critiques.

Subsequently, the course investigates the transformation of the philosophy of science and conceptions of scientific knowledge in the latter half of the 20th century, drawing on perspectives from John Searle (social ontology) and Jacques Lacan (social discourse analysis). The lectures also engage with the ideas of Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, and Slavoj Žižek on the relationship between society and science. A comprehensive and illustrative comparison of the theories of Searle, Lacan, and Deleuze is presented.

Following this, the course addresses the ethical and moral dimensions of legal principles in the context of the development of social sciences, incorporating the perspectives of major theorists such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, Georg W.F. Hegel, Hans Kelsen, Walter Benjamin, Friedrich Hayek, Lon L. Fuller, H.L.A. Hart, John Rawls, Michel Foucault, Ronald Dworkin, Joseph Raz, Robert Alexy, Dennis Patterson, Martha Nussbaum, Neil MacCormick, Aulis Aarnio, and Joseph Weiler.

Throughout the course, scientific and social-philosophical ideas are examined through concrete, real-world examples, particularly in relation to contemporary political, legal, and social debates.

Note: This course closely parallels the Finnish-language course OTMVAL0020 Oikeus, valta ja sosiaalitieteiden filosofia.

Aika ja paikka

Course Schedule – Autumn 2025
Course Title: Law, Power, and the Philosophy of Social Sciences
Lecture Hours: Wednesdays, 15:00–18:00
Total Lectures: 40 lecture hours / 15 weeks
Location: [To be determined]
Course Schedule and Content
Week (Calendar Week) Date Topic
Week 36 3 Sep 2025 Introduction to the Course: Key concepts and objectives
Week 37 10 Sep 2025 John Searle’s Social Ontology I: Institutions, language, and reality
Week 38 17 Sep 2025 John Searle’s Social Ontology II: Applications to law and society
Week 39 24 Sep 2025 18th- and 19th-Century Thinkers I: Descartes, Hume, and Kant – Skepticism, Epistemology, and Reason
Week 40 30 Sept 2025 18th- and 19th-Century Thinkers II: Hegel – Dialectics, State, and Law
Week 41 8 Oct 2025 Jacques Lacan: Psychoanalysis, Symbolic Order, and the Role of Law
Week 42 15 Oct 2025 Walter Benjamin: Law, Violence, and History – Critique of Violence and Legal Theory
Week 43 22 Oct 2025 Michel Foucault: Power, Knowledge, and the Legal System
Week 44 29 Oct 2025 Gilles Deleuze: Rhizomes, Power Structures, and Legal Change
Week 45 5 Nov 2025 Comparative Analysis of Key Thinkers: Searle, Lacan, Benjamin, Foucault, and Deleuze in the Study of Law and Society
Week 46 12 Nov 2025 Ethical and Moral Foundations of Law I: Rousseau, Kant, Bentham, and Hegel
Week 47 19 Nov 2025 Ethical and Moral Foundations of Law II: Benjamin, Hayek, Fuller, and Hart
Week 48 26 Nov 2025 Modern Legal Theory and Its Philosophical Roots I: Rawls, Dworkin, Raz, and Alexy
Week 49 3 Dec 2025 Modern Legal Theory and Its Philosophical Roots II: Patterson, Nussbaum, MacCormick, and Aarnio
Week 50 10 Dec 2025 Final Lecture (1 hour) & Comparative Analysis: Law, Power, and Social Philosophy – Exam Preparation

Oppimateriaalit

All material delivered in Moodle.

Opetusmenetelmät

Course Structure:
1. Introduction & Searle’s Framework (Weeks 36–38)
2. 18th- and 19th-Century Thinkers (Weeks 39–40)
3. 20th-Century Theorists (Lacan, Benjamin, Foucault, Deleuze) (Weeks 41–44)
4. Comparative Discussion of Key Thinkers (Week 45)
5. Legal Theorists & Ethical Foundations (Weeks 46–49)
6. Final Session: Comparative Analysis & Exam Preparation (Week 50)

Tasks:
1. Pretask reading before very lecture (literature in Moodle)
2. Lectures (40 h)
3. Final home task (written work, 5 pages) or exam (dates to be agreed).

Arviointikriteerit, kiitettävä (5)

1-5, fail.