History of Medieval and Modern Law

The course aims to provide the students with the basic critical tools enabling them to know the historical development of European law system, both contextualizing legal instruments and institutions within their evolutionary process and finding continuities and discontinuities between past and present. The learning objective of the course, therefore, is to illustrate the dynamics leading to the existing legal instruments and proceedings, as well as their possible declination in the fields of politics, economy, and culture, and also their legacy to contemporary law and institutions. To this end, focus will be on legislators and jurists approaches, especially through the technical examination of legal argumentation and reasoning, as well as the analysis of case studies.

At the end of the course, students will have to demonstrate - Knowledge and understanding: to know and to understand the basic notions underlying the development of European law, and to be able to reflect upon the distinctive features of Western legal culture. - Applying knowledge and understanding: the ability to understand the various techniques of legal reasoning, as well as the ability to collect, analyze and select data based on context. - Making Judgements: critical awareness, management skills, flexibility, and a capacity for research into the many elements that make up the historical side of law as it relates to the foundations of Western legal knowledge, through optional written exercises. - Communication skills: to write and to speak about the concepts learned during the course, utilizing coherent argumentation, methodical precision and correct language. - Learning skills: to understand the relationship between institutions, society and individuals, and also to demonstrate a strong capacity for analysis and reflection in terms of legal issues, both past and present.