Animal Legal Philosophy

Animal Legal Philosophy - Professor Raj Reddy

Course Number: LAW-303
Course Type: Foundational
Credits: 2
Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
Description: Although animal law is still considered a nascent field, having emerged as a distinct area of study in the 1970s, questions regarding the moral status of nonhuman animals and our legal duties, if any, toward them date back to the roots of Western civilization. In light of this early philosophical attention paid to the animals’ legal status, the objectives of this course are two-fold: first, to track the development of animal legal philosophy from early Greek and Judaic paradigms to modern jurists; and second, to interrogate if and how our legal system should extend legal protections and legal personhood to them. Depending on the interests of students, this course will put these questions into larger conversations concerning race, religion, gender, personhood arguments for other entities, and more.
Prerequisite: none
Evaluation Method: Class participation, presentation, short assignments, final paper
Capstone: Yes
WIE: Yes

The American Bar Association accreditation standards require students to regularly attend the courses in which they are registered. Lewis & Clark expects students to attend classes regularly and to prepare for classes conscientiously. Specific attendance requirements may vary from course to course. Any attendance guidelines for a given class must be provided to students in a syllabus or other written document at the start of the semester. Sanctions (e.g., required withdrawal from the course, grade adjustment, and/or a failing grade) will be imposed for poor attendance.