Psychological Development: Myth, Law, and Practice

2 credits · Law

Collective myths from a variety of traditions and cultures capture enduring psychological truths about human choices and the human condition. Lawyers at various stages in their careers have their own personal myths, sometimes conscious and sometimes not. These personal myths embody key tendencies that determine or heavily influence each lawyer's personal and professional path. Collective and personal myths that take on these roles exemplify the subjective side of psychological development. A different but complementary perspective flows from scientific, psychotherapeutic, and psychological bodies of knowledge. This course combines the two perspectives in parallel fashion throughout. The main goal is to offer a space and time for each student to consider his or her own personal and professional direction through the course materials, class interactions, and a series of reflection papers. Because of the growing importance and rapid development of artificial intelligence, two weeks of course time is devoted to considering the personal impact of various potential artificial intelligence futures as well as the current and future psychological and relational aspects of AI entities. Elements used in grading: A series of reflection papers totaling at least 18-pages.