JURISPRUDENCE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Jurisprudence is said to be a set of multi-faceted discipline which acts as a guiding force
behind the nature and functioning of law. It not only includes the traditional analysis of
substantive legal issues/ dogmatics, but also the study of natural law & religious rules
systems, study of different realistic schools, positivist theories, theories concerning legal
principles and the concept of rights, post-modernism, et al. Apart from the mainstream or
liberal schools of jurisprudence, there have arisen many sub-disciplines under the branch
of Critical Legal Studies that aim at studying the intersectionalities of law, politics,
economics, gender, race, and the like. Thus, the nature and scope of Jurisprudence is only
widening day by day. This course not only aims at exposing the students to such basic
concepts, theories and the widening scope of Jurisprudence, but also strives to develop
skills of critical thinking in them. It aims at developing in them a critical viewpoint
through which to look at the world and its socio-political, economic and gendered
dimensions. The course aims at instilling the practical skill of how to think like a
lawyer among the students, thus helping them to be better lawyers, judges and
researchers of tomorrow.

UNIT I: INTRODUCTION, NATURAL LAW THEORY, ANALYTICAL LEGAL

POSITIVISM, FEMINIST & POST-MODERNIST SCHOOLS

Part 1: Introduction
1. Nature & Meaning of Jurisprudence: Definitions given by prominent jurists &
their analysis
2. Why should we study Jurisprudence?:Purpose & Usefulness of Jurisprudence
by Peter Wahlgren and William McGurns Why must Kim Davis be jailed?, The
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 7, 2015, available at http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-
must-kim-davis-be-jailed-1441666727
 3. Definitions, Meaning & Nature of Law

Part 2: Natural Law Theory

a) Introduction, Meaning & Significance of Natural law theory
b) Ancient Natural law: Contributions of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, &
Cicero
c) Natural law in the Middle Ages: Contributions of Thomas Acquinas, Pufendorf
d) Natural law & Social Contract: Hugo Grotius, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke,
Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, Fichte
e) Criticisms: David Hume, Bentham, Austin
f) Modern Natural law: Jean Dabin, Stammler, John Rawls, Del Vecchio, Geny, Le
Fur, Jerome Hall, John Wild, Lon Fuller (and Harts reply), J. M. Finnis,
Radbruch, Joseph Raz, Kramer
g) Criticisms against Natural law theory

Part 3: Analytical Legal Positivism

a) Introduction to Legal Positivism
b) Classical English Positivism: Contributions of Jeremy Bentham & John Austin
c) Hans Kelsens Pure Theory of Law
d) H.L.A. Harts Primary & Secondary Rules
e) Lon Fullers "Positivism and Fidelity to Law - A Reply to Professor Hart"
f) Criticisms against Legal Positivism

Part 4: Feminist Jurisprudence

a) Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudence
b) Contributions of Robin West, Catherine MacKinnon, N. Lacey, S. M. Okin, L.M.
Finley

Part 5: Postmodernist Jurisprudence

a) Introduction to Post-modernist Jurisprudence
b) Contributions of J.F. Lyotard, J. Wicke, B. de Sousa Santos, J. M. Balkin

UNIT II: HISTORICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, REALIST SCHOOLS & CRITICAL

LEGAL STUDIES
 Part 1: Historical School
a) Introduction of Historical School
b) Contributions of Montesquieu, Hugo, Burke, Herder, Savigny, Puchta, Gierke,
Henry Maine
c) Criticisms against Historical School

Part 2: Sociological School

a) Introduction to Sociological School
b) Early Developments in Sociological School (1600s early 1800s):
Contributions of Montesquieu, August Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer,
c) Later Developments in Sociological School (late 1800s Present):
Leon Duguit, Gierke, Hauriou, Max Weber, Rudolf von Ihering, Eugen Ehrlich,
Roscoe Pound, Karl Renner, Parsons, Julius Stone
d) Criticisms against Sociological School

Part 3: Legal Realism

a) Introduction to Realist School
b) Difference between American Realism & Scandinavian Realism
c) Chief Proponents of American Realism: Justice Horace Gray, Justice Oliver
Wendell Holmes, Jerome Frank, Carl Llewellyn
d) Chief Proponents of Scandinavian Realism: Hagerstrom, Olivecrona, Ross,
A.V.Lundstedt
e) Criticisms against Legal Realism

Part 4: Critical Legal Studies

a) Introduction to Critical Legal Studies
b) Contributions of R.W. Gordon, Duncan Kennedy, P. Gabel, R.M. Unger, M.
Kelman

UNIT III: UNDERSTANDING JUSTICE & ITS ADMINISTRATION

1. The Case of Speluncean Explorers by Lon Fuller

2. Ronald Dworkins Interpretivism
3. Theories of Justice: Distributive Justice, Justice as Entitlement, Justice as Rights,
Feminism & Justice, Economic theories, Corrective Justice
4. Justice & its kinds Civil & Criminal administration of Justice
5. Theories of Punishment & Secondary functions of Court
6. Theories of Adjudication: B. Cardozo, Nature of the Judicial Process, E.H. Levi,
An Introduction to Legal Reasoning, J. Wisdom, Gods; Chief Justice RS French,
Dont You Know Who I am? Ego & Identity in the Administration of Justice, Bench
& Bar Dinner, New South Wales Bar Association, 8 May 2009, available at:
http://www.hcourt.gov.au/assets/publications/speeches/current-
justices/frenchcj/frenchcj8may09.pdf

UNIT IV: RIGHTS, DUTIES, LIABILITY & LEGAL PERSONS

Part 1:Legal Rights & Duties

a) Hohfelds Analysis of Rights
b) Other Classification of Legal Rights

Part 2: Liability
a) Nature & Definition of Liability
b) Kinds of Liability
c) General Conditions of Liability
d) Measures of civil & criminal liabilities
e) Exemptions from Liability

Part 3: Theories of Juristic Personality/Persons

a) Nature of legal personality: legal status of lower animals, dead persons, unborn
persons, idol, mosque
b) Theories of Legal Personality
c) Lifting the veil of corporate personality: Judicial decisions
d) Double capacity & double personality
UNIT V: OWNERSHIP, POSSESSION, TITLES, PROPERTY

Part 1: Ownership & Possession

a) Definitions of Ownership & their criticisms: Austin, Holland, Markby, Hibbert,
Paton, Salmond
b) Essentials & Subject-matter of Ownership
c) Modes of Acquiring Ownership
d) Different kinds of ownership
e) Meaning & Kinds of Possession:
f) Elements of Possession: corpus possidendi & animus possidendi
g) Modes of Acquiring Possession
h) Savignys Theory of Possession
i) Distinction between Ownership & Possession
j) Possessory Remedies & Doctrine of Jus Tertii

Part 2: Titles & Property

a) Definition & Nature of Title
b) Classification of Titles: Salmonds Vestitive Facts & Benthams Dispositive Facts
c) Acts in Law
d) Agreements: Importance, Kinds, Validity
e) Meaning & Kinds of Property (as situs of Right)
f) Theories of Property
g) Modes of Acquisition of Property

REFERENCE BOOKS:
1. Michael Freeman (ed.) Lloyds Introduction to Jurisprudence, 9th ed., London:
Sweet & Maxwell (2014).
2. Wayne Morrison, Jurisprudence: From Greeks to Post-modernism, New Delhi:
Lawman (India) Pvt. Ltd. (1997).
3. V.D. Mahajan, Jurisprudence & Legal Theory, 5th ed., Lucknow: Eastern Book
Company (2014)
4. Autar Krishen Koul, A Textbook of Jurisprudence, 2nd ed., New Delhi: Satyam
Law International (2014)
5. NK Jayakumar, Lectures in Jurisprudence, 3rd ed., New Delhi: LexisNexis (2015)
6. P. J. Fitzgerald (ed.), Salmond on Jurisprudence, 12th ed., New Delhi: Universal
 Law Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. (2013).
7. Suri Ratnapala, Jurisprudence, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press (2011)
8. Ronald Dworkin, Laws Empire, Delhi: Universal Law Publishing Co. (2008)
9. Michael Doherty (ed.), Jurisprudence: The Philosophy of Law, 2nd ed., London:
Old Bailey Press (2001)
10. G.W.Paton, A Textbook of Jurisprudence, 4th ed., New Delhi: Oxford University
Press (1972).