Law, Capitalism, & Distributive Justice - 2244

This three-credit seminar course explores the role of law in constituting the institutions of capitalism and how law creates or contributes to a structure for society that is unjust in the distribution of important social goods. Markets in large-scale settings of social cooperation are constituted by law. Law is a human created institution. We decide collectively as a society how important social goods are allocated through law. The outcomes of some social choices implemented through law have often been inequality, domination, exploitation, and expropriation. This course focuses on the law that creates these unjust outcomes. It also provides students with a theoretical and cross-disciplinary framework by which to critique law on these grounds. Students will be expected to write a paper meeting the upper-level writing requirement.