Critical Social Inquiry 0294 - Law and the Non-Human

This course is an exploration of the complex and shifting relationships between law and non-human entities. How does law reflect, reinforce or challenge key categorical distinctions such as nature/culture, human/non-human, subject/object, and living/non-living? Through examination of a range of theoretical perspectives and specific case studies, we will focus on the epistemological underpinnings of law, especially in the Anglo-American legal tradition, and the enduring question of law's anthropocentrism. Specific areas of inquiry include legal perspectives on non-human animals, "Mother Nature," corporations, embryos, trans-species hybrids, and artificial intelligence.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Prerequisites: Successful completion of one CSI course (or equivalent) or permission of the instructor. This course is will require approximately 8-10 hours of work outside of class per week.