| JURISPRUDENCE OF BLOCKCHAIN

This course explores the implications of blockchain technology for foundational legal concepts such as property, contract, civil society and the state. The anchoring theme for class discussions is the notion that blockchain – in conjunction with other technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and automation – has the impact of decentring the state, and thus, the law. The course follows a thematic progression from debates on ownership and exchange in private law to questions of public infrastructure and governance of the commons. In this way, it supplements core courses on jurisprudence and private law, as well as interdisciplinary courses on law & economics, law & politics and law & technology. It would particularly interest students who are used to thinking philosophically about the role of law vis-à-vis emerging technologies.

Course delivery will be exclusively through classroom discussions, anchored around the prescribed texts and discussion questions. As a research-oriented elective, students will be expected to proactively develop their term papers around research questions discussed in class. Collaborative research may be hosted on a pubpub platform.

Please note: As this is a research-driven course, students will be admitted based on a 500- word Statement of Purpose (SOP) responding to the following question: How, in your view, are blockchain and jurisprudence related?

This elective will enable students to:

• Identify key philosophical debates raised by the adoption of blockchain technologies;
• Relate them with traditional debates in the philosophy of law;
• Develop their own perspectives on the effect of blockchain on property and contractlaw; and
• Inquire whether blockchain technologies decentre or strengthen the state.