The importance of moral philosophy to the study of the legal and political institutions of the modern state. In addition to exploring the nature of morality and moral reasoning, the course deals with basic questions about the concept of law and the justification of the state. Possible topics include inalienable rights, distributive justice, civil disobedience, secession, and the priority of liberty. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.virginia.edu/ppl/.

This course aims to prepare final year PPL students for their capstone thesis in the Spring semester. By the end of the Fall semester, in conjunction with PPL 4005, PPL students will have completed a proposal for their capstone thesis, compiled a viable bibliography, and obtained an advisor to work with them in the Spring

This seminar, designed to facilitate the production and collective evaluation of 35-page research papers, is taught annually by the Director of the PPL Program and/or members of the Committee on Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law. For more details on this class, please visit the department website at http://www.virginia.edu/ppl/. Prerequisite: Fourth-year PPL major.