Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
2008
Abstract
The value of teaching philosophy in law schools has been the subject of considerable debate, with detractors in practice and academia questioning its utility for professional practice. This paper suggests that teaching legal philosophy in law schools is necessary to challenge the law student to develop her own theory about law, its legitimacy, and its relation to justice, morality, power and rationality. Through such theoretical understanding, the law student acquires a sensitivity to, and concern for, the ideals underlying the law. Only when students’ hearts and minds are critically engaged on fundamental questions may they meaningfully understand their role and purpose in the larger legal process. Apart from becoming ethical professionals, morally transformed students with a greater values consciousness make for a more involved citizenry better equipped to harness the potential of law for positive social change.
Keywords
Legal philosophy, legal education, legal ethics
Discipline
Legal Education
Research Areas
Legal Theory, Ethics and Legal Education
Publication
International Journal of Learning
Volume
15
Issue
4
First Page
197
Last Page
203
ISSN
1447-9540
Publisher
Common Ground Pub
Citation
TAN, Seow Hon.
Legal Education, Philosophy and Values Consciousness of the Law Student. (2008). International Journal of Learning. 15, (4), 197-203.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/822
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/LegEdDig/2009/12.html