PHIL 108CNS
Why Obey the Law
Shanna Kathryn Slank
Description from DukeHub
Why should we obey the law? When is the state failing its citizens? This course investigates the central questions of political authority in an era where trust in institutions is rapidly eroding. We will interrogate the gap between how we think political power ought to function (its normative legitimacy) and how it actually functions on the ground (its descriptive legitimacy). By comparing classic philosophical inquiries with sociological perspectives , students will learn to weigh competing accounts of legitimacy. We will also explore how competing conceptions of freedom and fairness shape our understanding of whether political institutions earn our allegiance or deserve our resistance and examine how these debates are refracted through the lens of the liberal-conservative divide.
Skills
- policy and lawtitle: "law"
AI-resilient: 2 of 5
- No: Physical, lab or field work
- No: Live work with people
- Yes: Judgment someone is accountable for · "law"
- No: A craft you practice with your hands or body
- Yes: Small, in-person format · seminar, 18 seats per section
The checks lean on Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025), which found generative AI applies least to physical work and hands-on work with people. A signal, not a promise. How the score works
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