Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights

This course introduces students to a uniquely American invention: the written specification of individual liberties and rights that citizens possess, and has as its subject the relationship of law to the most fundamental questions about politics, morality, and human nature.

Price: Paid
Platform: Great Courses
Categories: History American History Philosophy & Religion Intellectual History Science Social Sciences

Learn More

Related Courses

Explore similar courses.

The Surveillance State: Big Data, Freedom, and You

The technological advances of the 21st century have brought both benefits and new questions about privacy and civil liberties. Around the globe, governments and corporations are capturing and analyzing vast quantities of information. Uncover how they gather and use the data, and explore the tension between security and freedom. Get the facts to make your own reasonable choices—and step toward an empowered future.

Great Courses Learn more

Natural Law and Human Nature

What do we mean by inalienable human rights? Is legislation the basis for those rights? These lectures explore the concept of human nature and how it is the basis for natural law and natural rights philosophy. Consider the arguments for natural law, the objections that have been raised against it, and the ways in which it remains a vital and even pervasive force in political, moral, and social life today.

Great Courses Learn more

The First Amendment and You: What Everyone Should Know

A mere 45 words, the First Amendment to the Constitution stands as a pillar of our democracy and has had an incalculable influence on the development of human freedom in the United States and the Western world. By defining the relationship between the people and the state and placing checks on governmental power to silence its populace, its protections have important ramifications for every American. The First Amendment and You: What Everyone Should Know is a practical guide to understanding the protections and limitations implied by this fundamental constitutional provision. This 12-lecture course will help you fully grasp why we have a First Amendment, what and whom it protects, and why it matters to you personally.

Great Courses Learn more

Liberty on Trial in America: Cases That Defined Freedom

In Liberty on Trial in America: Cases That Defined Freedom, you will learn how liberty increased in our country when individuals sued for freedoms and when cases were brought specifically to test the limits of the Constitution. In 24 fascinating lectures, Professor Douglas O. Linder of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law takes you behinds the scenes of the trials that recognized many of the liberties we enjoy today.

Great Courses Learn more

Get the latest news!

Get the latest on new courses, sales, learning tips, site updates and community events.