Outline

Overview

This unit asks whether obedience to legal norms is required by morality. It examines various arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	LAWS3471
Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	LAWS5171
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Kevin Walton, kevin.walton@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Short essay Essay	20%	Week 05 Due date: 01 Apr 2021 at 12:00	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay Essay	60%	Week 13 Due date: 04 Jun 2021 at 12:00	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Class participation Class participation	20%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Class participation: Students receive a mark out of ten for leading class discussion in a specific seminar. In the particular seminar to which they are assigned, students are on call, which means that they should be ready to raise their own and answer others’ (including the teacher’s) questions about the required reading. Students also receive a mark out of ten for the questions and comments about the required reading that they submit on Canvas throughout the semester either before or just after the class in which the reading is examined.

Short essay: Students must write a short essay in which they reflect on (that is, make an argument about) an aspect of the required reading for one of the first eight seminars. They must not write about the reading for a seminar in which they led the class discussion.

Research essay: Each student must submit a research essay. This essay should demonstrate critical engagement with a relevant topic based on independent research. Students must either answer one of the questions provided by the teacher or write on a subject of their own choice (to which the teacher has agreed). Students are permitted to write a research essay on the same topic as their short essay or the seminar in which they led the class discussion (subject to the policy on academic dishonesty).

A student who does not make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks will receive an Absent Fail grade.

Assessment criteria

A High Distinction (85-100) indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction (75-84) a very high standard, a Credit (65-74) a good standard, and a Pass (50-64) an acceptable standard

The mark for class-participation is determined using the following grid:

	Exceptional	Very high	Good	Acceptable	Unacceptable
Comprehension
Analysis
Extent of input

The mark for the short essay is determined using the following grid:

	Exceptional	Very high	Good	Acceptable	Unacceptable
Comprehension
Analysis
Structure
Expression

The mark for the research essay is determined using the following grid:

	Exceptional	Very high	Good	Acceptable	Unacceptable
Comprehension
Analysis
Structure
Expression
Research

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

A student who has not obtained an extension by applying successfully for Special Consideration will be penalised for late submission of written work at a rate of 5% of the total mark for the assignment per day or part-day (including weekends and public holidays). Subject to a ten-minute grace-period, penalties for late submission will be strictly applied. This means that three marks will be deducted from a research essay submitted at eleven minutes past noon on the due-date (or revised due-date).

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 01	The problem of political obligation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Philosophical anarchism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Consent	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Democratic participation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Against consent	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Rethinking obligation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Gratitude	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Fairness: Hart and Rawls	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Fairness: Klosko	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	The principle of utility	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Necessity	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Instrumentalism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	The natural duty of justice	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Samaritanism	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Democratic authority	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Membership	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Liberal community	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	An invented obligation	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Conclusion	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend 70% of classes (in person or online) to satisfy the pass requirements for each unit of study. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a student being precluded from sitting the final assessment, and being discontinued from the unit of study, resulting in an Absent Fail or Discontinue - Fail grade. Exemptions may be considered by the teacher only upon satisfactory evidence sudden illness or serious misadventure.
Teaching and Learning Strategy: Seminars are discussion-based. Students must prepare for each seminar by reading and reflecting on designated texts. Participation in class-discussions enables students to develop their understanding of and their ability to think critically about the issues with which the texts are concerned.
Referencing Requirements: When citing material in written work, students should rely consistently on an accepted method, such as that specified in The Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed).
Word-limits: The total word-count for written work excludes the title-page, citations in footnotes and any bibliography, but includes everything else, such as headings, sub-headings, quotations (including epigraphs) and, even if it does not seem substantive, anything other than citations in footnotes. Failure to comply with the word-limit is penalised at a rate of 5% of the total mark for the assignment for every 100 words in excess of the limit. A research essay of 4099 words, for example, is not penalised, but a paper of 4100 words loses three marks. Penalties for excessive length are strictly applied.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The required readings are available electronically through the Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate knowledge of arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law.
LO2. Analyse arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law.
LO3. Present orally and in writing arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law.
LO4. Research arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The teacher welcomes student feedback on this unit of study.

Additional information

Resources - Sydney Law Students

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

LAWS3471: The Morality of Obeying the Law

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect