Ethics as applied to law

ldroi1309  2024-2025  Louvain-la-Neuve

Ethics as applied to law
3.00 credits
30.0 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Lambrecht Maxime (compensates Lazaro Christophe); Lazaro Christophe;
Language
French
Main themes
The objective of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the complex entanglements between ethics, law, and political institutions within contemporary liberal societies. It aims at introducing students to the methodology, concepts and specific issues of applied ethics as a subfield of legal studies.
The main goal of the course is to familiarize students with the key ethical theories that law practitioners mobilize either explicitly or implicitly in contemporary legal debates and procedures. It will provide students with the main tools of ethical inquiry and will help them to think critically and independently about norms and values. To this end, the course will develop a problem-oriented approach based on the analysis of concrete case studies, drawn from case law and/or legislation. This practical approach will give students the opportunity to deepen and master the tools, the concepts and theories of applied ethics.
The case studies tackled during the course encompass a variety of themes such as: body, technologies and health, environmental protection, animal welfare, social justice, equality and non-discrimination, etc. 
Content
The objective of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the complex entanglements between ethics, law, and political institutions within contemporary liberal societies. It aims at introducing students to the methodology, concepts and specific issues raised by ethics in various legal fields.
The course aims to enable students to understand the main ethical theories that are explicitly or implicitly referred to in contemporary legal debates. The aim is to provide students with the fundamental instruments of ethical investigation that will enable them to develop an autonomous and informed reflection on norms and values. To this end, the course will also be devoted to the analysis of concrete cases, in connection with law and public policy. This practical approach should allow students to deepen and master the tools, concepts and theories of ethics applied to law.
The practical cases dealt with in this year's course will focus on the topic of the "good life" et will address healthcare and justice, care ethics, human dignity and paternalism, privacy and consent, animal ethics and welfare, rights of nature and environment protection, etc. 
Teaching methods
The teaching method of the course combines lectures with moments of interaction with students (brainstorming, Q/R, discussion, etc.), in order to make them familiar with ethical argumentation on controversial topics in various legal fields.
The course is designed to foster active participation of students on the basis of compulsory readings (articles, court decisions, legislations, news, etc.). The links to these documents are to be found on Moodle. 
Evaluation methods
The final evaluation will take the form of a written exam, divided in two parts. The first part (A) consists of a case study. The second part (B) includes multiple choice questions (MCQ).
The final grade is the weighted average of grades A and B. In the final mark, part A is worth 12/20 and part B is worth 08/20.
The exam will focus on the content presented in class as well as on the compulsory readings. The course materials include ppt slides.
To prepare for the evaluation of the first part of the exam, a mock test is proposed with a standard question, at a level of difficulty similar to that of the exam. This question is then corrected by the teacher with the students, specifying the level of mastery and rigor expected (explaining the correction criteria), so that the students can see what is expected and adapt their study of the subject accordingly.
Online resources
Moodle
Bibliography
Des références bibliographiques sont mises à disposition sur Moodle pour les étudiant.e.s qui souhaiteraient approfondir la matière
Teaching materials
  • Slides du cours
  • Lectures
Faculty or entity


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Anthropology

Certificat d'université en éthique et société

Bachelor in Law