LAW AND HUMANITIES
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
As this is a first-year exam, no specific prerequisites are required other than those necessary for admission to the degree program.
The exam is conducted in written form and consists of a multiple-choice test with 30 questions, each offering four possible answers, plus an additional question for either honors (cum laude) or a passing grade. One point is awarded for each correct answer, and no points are given for incorrect answers. The final grade is expressed on a scale of thirty. The exam lasts approximately 50 minutes and is designed to assess the student's understanding and assimilation of the course material. The grade will reflect the student’s ability to answer the questions accurately. Honors (cum laude) will be awarded to students who correctly answer all questions, including the additional bonus question.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES The course aims to provide a general introduction to the legal phenomenon by exploring its connections with literature and the arts. It offers students a grounding in fundamental legal principles, tailored to the perspective of those undertaking studies in the humanities. Law is often perceived as something distant from everyday life and seemingly unrelated to the study of languages. On the contrary, the Law and Humanities course seeks to demonstrate how law—defined as “the art of the good and the just”—is deeply intertwined with the human condition and shares much with its highest expressions, such as literature, theatre, and cinema. The course is therefore designed to bring students of Language Mediation Studies closer to the law in an engaging, yet rigorous and meaningful way. While they are not necessarily training for legal professions, it is likely that they will encounter legal matters in their future careers. EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course, students will have acquired a comprehensive view of the legal phenomenon and will be able to address moderately simple legal problems and suggest possible solutions. They will also be able to understand and use correct legal terminology with reasonable accuracy—for example, distinguishing between the terms suspect and defendant, which are often confused in everyday and journalistic language.
The course will explore the connections between law, language, history, and the “high” expressive forms of human creativity—particularly literature, theatre, and cinema. A few illustrative examples can help highlight the points of contact between these different domains: Law and literature share the same expressive medium: language. Languages, like legal systems, are normative frameworks observed by a given community; Both law and the arts are subject to interpretation. “Interpreting” is fundamental to both translating texts and applying legal rules; Themes of justice frequently appear in literature, theatre, and cinema. Analyzing works that address these themes helps reveal the deeply human dimension of the law. To this end, the course will examine, from a legal perspective, works by Kafka, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Balzac, Dickens, Dante, Manzoni, Homer, and the Greek tragedians, as well as contemporary authors such as Claudio Magris and Umberto Eco.
...
The course adopts an approach aimed at actively engaging students and is based on traditional lecture-style teaching.
The professor receives students by appointment, which can be scheduled by writing to giorgio.zamperetti@uninsubria.it.