NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY ODISHA, CUTTACK
JURISPRUDENCE
COURSE DESIGN
LL.B. 7TH SEMESTER
4 CREDITS
Course Teachers
Sheela Rai and Kanishk Kumar
INTRODUCTION
Writers on epistemology have debated about what is knowledge. The debate will continue.
But a modern researcher in any discipline knows that there are broadly two stages in the
building blocks of knowledge. At the first stage the seeker comes to know particular facts and
then she develops a theory on the basis of those facts.
Study of law also is similar. A student is first acquainted with some basic laws in the initial
years of study. Once acquainted with particular laws, she is then introduced to theories on law
which helps her to understand the larger picture about the making of laws, their enforcement,
their role in society and politics, and their objectives. Once acquainted with theoretical
debates and discussions, students are better able to analyse and evaluate the laws and court
decisions and form opinion on contemporary legal, social and political issues.
Course Objectives:
1. To introduce to students basic legal theories and writers on legal theory
2. To help students understand the abstract theories with the help of concrete examples
3. To discuss Indian legal, social and political systems in the light of theories
4. To clarify the theories through comparative analysis
5. To conduct guided discussions on strength and weakness of different theories
6. To encourage students to develop critical thinking on prevalent legal, social and
political issues.
Expected Course Outcomes: After completion of the course, a student
1. Will know about important legal theories, concepts and writers
2. Will have clear understanding of the abstract ideas in different legal theories
3. Will be able to connect Indian legal, social and political issues with different theories
4. Will be able to comparatively analyze the debates on current issues in light of theories
studied
5. Will be able critique the current laws and judicial decisions
6. Will be able to develop ideas on legal, social and political issues.
PART I
Theories about Law
General Introduction of the Course
Why Study Jurisprudence?
What is Law?
Readings: Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.)J. Austin,
“The Uses of the Study of Jurisprudence” pp. 20-21
Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.)W.L. Twining “Some
Jobs for Jurisprudence” pp. 22-25.
Module 1-Law and the Sovereign-Bentham, Austin ((A disintegrated structure), Law with an
internal validity structure (Kelsen), Law as a union of primary and secondary rules (H.L.A.
Hart).
Readings: Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.) “Bentham,
Austin and Classical Legal Positivism” pp.195-217.
Dias, Jurisprudence (5th ed.) “Positivism: British Theories” pp. 331-357.
Dias, Jurisprudence (5th ed.) “The Pure Theory” pp. 358-374.
Sheela Rai, “Hart’s Concept of Law and the Indian Constitution” (2002) 2 SCC (Jour) 1.
Module 2- Sovereign’s Law and the higher norm (Natural Law School): A bifurcation between
positive Law and natural law
➢ Western perspective: Ancient philosophers, medieval philosophers, modern philosophers,
revival of Natural Law.
Readings:
Edgar Bodenheimer Jurisprudence: The Philosophy and the Method of Law “Greek and Roman Legal
Theory” pp. 3-20
Edgar Bodenheimer Jurisprudence: The Philosophy and the Method of Law “Legal Philosophy in the
Middle Ages” pp. 21-30
Edgar Bodenheimer Jurisprudence: The Philosophy and the Method of Law “The Classical Era of
Natural Law” pp. 31-59.
Edgar Bodenheimer Jurisprudence: The Philosophy and the Method of Law “German Transcendental
Idealism” pp. 60-69
H.L.A. Hart, “Positivism and Separation of Law and Morals” Harvard Law Review Vol. 71, No. 4
(Feb., 1958), pp. 593-629
Lon L. Fuller, “Positivism and Fidelity to Law: A Reply to Prof. Hart Vol. 71, No. 4 (Feb., 1958), pp.
630-672
➢ Indian perspective- Rta, Dharma, Vrata.
Readings: S.D. Sharma, “Administration of Justice in Ancient India (3rd ed.) pp. 1-66
Module 3- An Attempt at Synthesis; Inclusive and Exclusive Positivism- Fuller, Finnis, Dworkin
and Joseph Raz.
Readings: Penner (et al ed.) McCoubrey & White’s Textbook on Jurisprudence, “Post-Hart Analytical
Philosophy of Law: Dworkin and Raz” pp. 83-102
Penner (et al ed.) McCoubrey & White’s Textbook on Jurisprudence, “Natural Law” pp. 27-39.
Module 4: Enforcement of Morality
Readings: Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.) “Legal
Enforcement of Morality” pp. 343-348.
Module 5- Rights and Duties
Readings: P.J. Fizgerald (ed.) Salmond on Jurisprudence “Legal Rights” pp. 215-245.
Module 6- An obligation to obey law and civil disobedience.
Law as a Social and Economic Instrument
Module 7- Anthropological and Historical School
Readings:Dias, Jurisprudence (5th ed.) “Historical and Anthropological Approaches” pp. 375-
394
Module 8– Sociological School
Readings: Dias, Jurisprudence (5th ed.) “Sociological Approaches” pp. 420-446.
Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.) “Sociological
Jurisprudence and the Sociology of Law” pp. 701-745.
Module 9- Utilitarianism, Law and Economics
Readings: Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.)“Bentham
and the Utilitarians” pp. 196-198.
Wayne Morrison, Jurisprudence: From the Greeks to Post-Modernism “John Stuart Mill: The Reform
of Utilitarianism and the Development of the Principle of Liberty”
Richard A. Posner, The Problems of Jurisprudence “The Economic Approach to Law” pp. 353-392
Module 10- Theories Of Justice: Theories of Social Justice, Communitarian Justice.
Readings: Wayne Morrison, Jurisprudence: From the Greeks to Post-Modernism “Liberalism and
the Idea of Just Society in Late Modernity” pp. 392-413.
Richard A. Posner, The Problems of Jurisprudence “Communitarianism” pp. 414-422.
Charles Barclay Roger, “Amartya Sen and the Idea of Justice”
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/amartya-sen-and-idea-of-justice
Chris Brown, “On Amartya Sen and the Idea of Justice” Ethics and International Affairs 24 (3). pp.
309-318 Microsoft Word - On Amartya Sen _coversheet_.doc (lse.ac.uk)
Nithya Guna Saigran, Parthiban S. Gopal, Premalatha Karupiah, “The Capability Approach:
Comparaing Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum”
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292788186_The_Capability_Approach_Comparing_Amar
tya_Sen_and_Martha_Nussbaum.
Law as a Judicial Pronouncement
Module 10-Realist School (American and Scandinavian Realists)
Readings: Dias, Jurisprudence (5th ed.) “Modern Realism” pp. 447-469.
Law as an Instrument of Dominance
Module 11-Economic Dominance –Marxist School
Readings: Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.) “marxist
Theories of Law and State” pp. 953-988.
Module 12- Social, Political and Ideological Dominance: Critical Legal Studies Movement and
Post-Modernism
Readings: Sheela Rai, “Critical legal Studies” 5626_et_18et.pdf (inflibnet.ac.in)
Sheela Rai, “Post Modernism” 8126_et_et.pdf (inflibnet.ac.in)
Module 13- Gender Dominance: Feminist School of Jurisprudence
Readings: Margaret Davies, “Feminist and Gender in Legal Theory” Asking the Law Question
(Thomson Reuters, 4th ed. pp. 223-298)
Micahel Freeman (ed.) Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence (9th ed.)
Wayne Morrison, Jurisprudence: From the Greeks to Post-Modernism “Understanding Feminist
Jurisprudence” pp. 479-512.
Evaluation: 100 Marks
1. Project-20 Marks
2. Viva-10 Marks
3. End Term Exam-70 Marks
LECTURE PLAN
Class Topic
1. Why Study Jurisprudence
2. What is law
3. Genesis of Positivism
4. Bentham and Austin- Where lies
Sovereignty in India In Re Berubari
5. Bentham and Austin discussion in
light of Indian cases, A.K. Gopalan,
ADM Jabalpur
6. Kelsen-Grund Norm in Indian legal
System.
7. H.L.A. Hart
8. H.L.A. Hart and Indian Legal
System
9. Natural Law-Ancient and Medieval
western theories
10. Natural Law-Early modern theories
12. Natural Law-Hart-Fuller Debate
13. Hart -Fuller debate and Indian legal
system, Discussion of cases on Arts.
21, 14 (After ADM Jabalpur)
14. Finnis and discussion of Rights
under Indian legal system
15. Dworkin and use of principles under
the Indian legal system in judicial
decisions
16. Joseph Raz
17. Rta and Dharma
18 Enforcement of Morality
19. Enforcement of Morality in India
20. Rights and Duties
21 Rights and Duties-Hohfeld
22. Obligation to obey law and civil
disobedience
23 Anthropological School
24 Historical School
25. Sociological School-Durkheim,
Jhering Weber and Ehrlich
26. Roscoe Pound-Balancing conflicting
interest in the Indian legal system
27. Modern Sociologist-Selznick, and
Tamanaha
28. Modern Sociologist- Tamanaha and
Habermas
29. Utilitarianism
30. Law and Economics
31 Theories of justice-Libertarian
theories (Nozick)
32. Theories of justice-Marxist and
Liberal theories (Rawls)
33. Theories of justice-Amartya Sen
34. Theories of justice-Libertarian
theories (Martha Nussbaum) and
Justice in Indian legal-political
system
35 American Realism
36. American Realism
37. Scandinavian Realism
38 Scandinavian Realism
39. Marxist School
40. Marxist School
41. Critical Legal Studies Movement
42. Roberto Unger
43. Post Modernism
44. Post Modernism
45. Discussion about CLS and Post
Modernism in light of Indian law-
society and politics.
46. Feminist Jurisprudence
47. Feminist Jurisprudence and gender
justice in India
48. Revision and Clearance of doubts
49. Revision and Clearance of doubts
50. Revision and Clearance of doubts
