Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 320-1"
COURSE NAME: "Public International Law"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2018

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Salvatore Caserta
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 6:00-7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines the basic concepts of public international law, to enable students to critically evaluate the interplay between legal claims and power relations. Starting with a theoretical overview of the character, development and sources of international law, the course examines such law-generating and law-implementing institutions as the United Nations, international arbitration and adjudication, international criminal tribunals, national systems and regional organizations. Such substantive areas as the law of war (the use of force and humanitarian law), international criminal law, human rights, and environmental law will be given special attention.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course covers the most relevant topics of public international law, such as foundations and structures of international, sources of international law, the actors in the international legal system, the principles of jurisdiction and diplomatic protection, state responsibility, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the international regulation of the use of force, and the law of armed conflict. The course also branches out to some sister disciplines such as international criminal law, the law of the sea, and human rights.

Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1

- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html

- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.

Class 1: Introduction and historical developments

Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law

Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3

- Excerpts from LaGrand Case

Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation

Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources

Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4

- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo

Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine

Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo

Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty

Mandatory Readings:

- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8^th edition), Chapter 22

- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case

Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty

Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction

Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6

- Excerpts from Hostages case

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: The Hostages case

Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8

- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases

Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments

Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation

Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts

Mandatory Readings:

- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4

Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model

Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa

Week 8 – State Responsibility

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7

- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Jurisprudential developments

Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Case study

Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11

- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings

Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12

- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)

Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC

Class 2: The backlash against the ICC

Week 12 – International Human Rights

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9

- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)

Class 1: Institutional framework

Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation

Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8

- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)

Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea

Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea

Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions

Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1

- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html

- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.

Class 1: Introduction and historical developments

Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law

Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3

- Excerpts from LaGrand Case

Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation

Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources

Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4

- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo

Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine

Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo

Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty

Mandatory Readings:

- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8^th edition), Chapter 22

- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case

Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty

Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction

Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6

- Excerpts from Hostages case

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: The Hostages case

Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8

- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases

Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments

Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation

Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts

Mandatory Readings:

- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4

Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model

Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa

Week 8 – State Responsibility

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7

- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Jurisprudential developments

Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Case study

Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11

- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings

Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12

- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)

Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC

Class 2: The backlash against the ICC

Week 12 – International Human Rights

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9

- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)

Class 1: Institutional framework

Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation

Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8

- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)

Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea

Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea

Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions

Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1

- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html

- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.

Class 1: Introduction and historical developments

Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law

Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3

- Excerpts from LaGrand Case

Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation

Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources

Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4

- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo

Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine

Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo

Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty

Mandatory Readings:

- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8^th edition), Chapter 22

- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case

Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty

Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction

Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6

- Excerpts from Hostages case

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: The Hostages case

Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8

- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases

Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments

Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation

Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts

Mandatory Readings:

- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4

Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model

Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa

Week 8 – State Responsibility

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7

- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Jurisprudential developments

Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Case study

Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11

- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings

Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12

- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)

Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC

Class 2: The backlash against the ICC

Week 12 – International Human Rights

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9

- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)

Class 1: Institutional framework

Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation

Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8

- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)

Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea

Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea

Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions

Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1

- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html

- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.

Class 1: Introduction and historical developments

Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law

Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3

- Excerpts from LaGrand Case

Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation

Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources

Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4

- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo

Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine

Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo

Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty

Mandatory Readings:

- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8^th edition), Chapter 22

- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case

Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty

Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction

Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6

- Excerpts from Hostages case

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: The Hostages case

Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8

- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases

Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments

Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation

Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts

Mandatory Readings:

- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4

Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model

Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa

Week 8 – State Responsibility

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7

- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Jurisprudential developments

Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Case study

Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11

- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings

Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12

- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)

Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC

Class 2: The backlash against the ICC

Week 12 – International Human Rights

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9

- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)

Class 1: Institutional framework

Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation

Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8

- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)

Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea

Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea

Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The objective of the course is to enable the students to:

- Identify the main institutions and topics in the field of public international role.
- Identify, explain, and critically discuss the main theoretical and practical issues related to the emergence of forms of international governance and laws.
- Communicate and formulate their knowledge and arguments in a structured and coherent way.

The teaching provides the students with the skills needed to establish an independent and critical attitude to concrete issues of international law and to relate, in a balanced and reflective manner, to the inherent tensions of international law and to the borderline between politics and law.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
International Law	Jan Klabbers	Cambridge University Press	9781139022569
International Law	Anders Henriksen	Oxford University Press	9780198753018

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
The New Terrain of International Law	Karen Alter	Princeton University Press	9781400848683

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Individual Written Assignment, 24 hours		40%
Midterm written assignment		30%
In class exercises/group works		20%
Class participation		10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY

Attendance is mandatory. Students shall read assigned materials before classes and shall participate to class discussions

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Week 1 – What is International Law? Introduction and Historical Overview

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 1

- Karen Alter’s blog post on Ukraine and Russia – Has Putin broken international law? Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/05/opinion/alter-ukraine-international-law/index.html

- Excerpts from Anthonie Anghie, Imperialism, Sovereignty, and the Making of International Law, Cambridge University Press 2004.

Class 1: Introduction and historical developments

Class 2: Institutional framework, the functions, and the limitations of international Law

Week 2 – The Sources of International Law: Treaties and Customs

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 2 & 3

- Excerpts from LaGrand Case

Class 1: The law of the treaties and principles of interpretation

Class 2: International customs, jus cogens, and other sources

Week 3 – The Actors of International Law: Statehood

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 4

- Excerpts from ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo

Class 1: What is a state? The case of Palestine

Class 2: Self-determination and recognition – The case of Kosovo

Week 4 – Jurisdiction and Sovereignty

Mandatory Readings:

- James Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law (8^th edition), Chapter 22

- Excerpts from Arrest Warrant case

Class 1: Jurisdiction and acquisition of sovereignty

Class 2: The exercise of universal jurisdiction

Week 5 – Immunities of Foreign States and Consular Relations

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch 6

- Excerpts from Hostages case

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: The Hostages case

Week 6 – International Dispute Settlement and the ICJ

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 8

- Excerpts from Nicaragua and Avena cases

Class 1: The International Court of Justice – institutional structure and jurisprudential developments

Class 2: The International Court of Justice -- jurisdiction and implementation

Week 7 – Regional Organizations and Other International Courts

Mandatory Readings:

- Karen Alter, The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights, Ch. 1 and 4

Class 1: The global spread of international courts and the diffusion of European model

Class 2: Regional courts in Europe, Latin America and Africa

Week 8 – State Responsibility

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 7

- Excerpts from Hostages and Rainbow Warrior (PCA) cases

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Jurisprudential developments

Week 9 – The International Regulation of the Use of Force

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 9 and 10

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Case study

Week 10 – The Law of Armed Conflicts

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 11

- Excerpts from the ICJ advisory opinion on nuclear weapons

Class 1: General principles

Class 2: Nuclear weapons, drones and target killings

Week 11 – International Criminal Law and the ICC

Mandatory Readings:

- Jan Klabbers, International Law, Ch. 12

- Leslie Vinjamuri: The International Criminal Court and the Paradox of Authority, 79 Law and Contemporary Problems (2016)

Class 1: The History of International Criminal Law and the ICC

Class 2: The backlash against the ICC

Week 12 – International Human Rights

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 9

- Eyal Benvenisti, Margin of Appreciation, Consensus, and Universal Standards, 31 New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1999)

Class 1: Institutional framework

Class 2: The European Court of Human Rights and the margin of appreciation

Week 13 – The International Law of the Sea and the ITLOS

Mandatory Readings:

- Anders Henriksen, International Law, Ch. 8

- Thomas Mensah, The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 11 Leiden Journal of International Law (1998)

Class 1: General issues on the law of the sea

Class 2: The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea

Week 14 – Contemporary Debates and Conclusions