Ethics, Justice, and International Law
Is the international legal order just? International lawyers and moral philosophers have offered a variety of approaches and answers to this fundamental question, each reflecting the methodologies and assumptions of their discipline. In this seminar, we will compare these two traditions for examining questions of international justice. After an overview of philosophical and legal approaches, we will examine a series of discrete issues such as just war theory, secession and territorial borders, transborder pollution, intellectual property and AIDS therapies, global hunger, the territorial scope of human rights protections, and reform of international institutions. No prior coursework in ethics is required; Transnational Law or an equivalent introductory course in international law is, however, a prerequisite.
For details on class times, days of the week, instructors, and grading and exam details, please view the Michigan Law Class Schedule.