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USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 120-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
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Marshall Cohen
USC Gould School of Law
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University Professor Emeritus, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Law, and Dean Emeritus, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Email: mcohen@law.usc.eduTelephone: (213) 740-4794
Fax: (213) 740-5502
699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA Room: 324
Last Updated: February 17, 2022
Marshall Cohen’s academic interests are jurisprudence; moral, legal and political philosophy; and the philosophy of art.
Cohen has written on a broad number of topics relating to his areas of study, including Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 6th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2004), Punishment (edited with A. J. Simmons, J. Cohen and C. Beitz, Princeton University Press, 1995), and Ronald Dworkin and Contemporary Jurisprudence (Rowman & Littlefield, 1984).
Cohen completed his undergraduate studies at
Books
- Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, ed. with Gerald Mast (Oxford) 1974, Second edition, 1979, Third edition, 1985. Fourth edition (with Leo Braudy) 1992, Fifth edition, 1999, Sixth edition, 2004, Seventh edition 2009, Eight edition, 2016 (Oxford University Press).
- Punishment (edited with A.J. Simmons, J. Cohen and C. Beitz) (Princeton University Press, 1995).
- International Ethics (edited with C. Beitz, T. Scanlon and A.J. Simmons) (Princeton University Press, 1985).
- Ronald Dworkin and Contemporary Jurisprudence (edited and with a preface) (Duckworth, and Rowman & Allanheld, 1984).
- What Is Dance?: Readings in Theory and Criticism (edited with Roger Copeland) (Oxford University Press, 1983).
- Medicine and Moral Philosophy (edited with T. Nagel and T. Scanlon) (Princeton University Press, 1982).
- Marx, Justice and History (edited with T. Nagel and T. Scanlon) (Princeton University Press, 1980).
- Equality and Preferential Treatment (edited with T. Nagel and T. Scanlon) (Princeton University Press, 1977).
- The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion (edited with T. Nagel and T. Scanlon) (Princeton University Press, 1974).
- War and Moral Responsibility (edited with T. Nagel and T. Scanlon) (Princeton University Press, 1974).
- The Philosophy of John Stuart Mill (ed. and with an introduction) (Modern Library, 1961).
Articles and Book Chapters
- "Law and Force." In Proceedings of the IVR World Congress (Stuttgart, Germany: The Conference, 1987).
- "Moral Skepticism and International Relations." 13(4) Philosophy and Public Affairs 299 (1984); reprinted in International Ethics (C. Beitz et al., eds.) (Princeton University Press, 1985); in part in Political Realism and International Morality: International Ethics in the Nuclear Age (D. Meyers and K. Kipnis, eds.) (Westview Press, 1987); slightly revised in Doxa (Barcelona, 1987).
- "Toward a Liberal Foreign Policy." In Liberalism Reconsidered (D. MacLean and C. Mills, eds.) (Rowman & Allenheld, 1983).
- "Primitivism, Modernism, and Dance Theory." In Philosophical Essays on Dance (G. Myers and G. Francher, ed.) (Dance Horizon, 1981); reprinted in 9(3) Ballet Review 41 (1981); and in What is Dance? (R. Copeland and M. Cohen, eds.) (Oxford University Press, 1983).
- "The Morality of Military Intervention." In War and Morality (West Point: U.S. Military Academy, 1980).
- "Dialogue: Morality vs. Real Politik" (with Robert E. Osgood). 1(3) Humanities 6 (1980); reprinted in Transaction.
- "Equality and Efficiency: Commentary." In Income Distribution (C. Campbell, ed.) (American Enterprise Institute, 1977).
- "Film and the University" (edited with G. Mast): Published in Conference Proceedings. 2 Quarterly Review of Film Studies, nos. 1, 2, 3, (1976-77).
- "Humanism and Modernism." 1 Humanities and Society 1 (March 1977).
- "Morality and the Laws of War." In Philosophy, Morality and International Conflict (V. Held, S. Morgenbesser and T. Nagel, eds.) (Oxford University Press, 1974).
- "Liberalism and Disobedience." 1 Philosophy and Public Affairs 283 (1972).
- "Notes on Modernist Art." 3 New Literary History 215 (1971).
- "Taylor's Conception of the Laws of War." 80 Yale Law Journal 1492 (1971). - (Hein)
- "Civil Disobedience." In The Great Ideas Today, 1971 (R.M. Hutchins and M. J. Adler, eds.) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1971).
- "Lear and Nature." 1 Philosophic Exchange 83 (1970).
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
The New York Times
January 28, 2023
Re: Jody David Armour
Professor Jody Armour was interviewed by the New York Times about the recent policy brutality incident that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. “It’s not just a Black and white issue, but a Black and blue one. And when you put on that blue uniform, it often becomes the primary identity that drowns out any other identities that might compete with it," Armour said.
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP
Jonathan Barnett
December, 2022
"The China Innovation Challenge." Center for Strategic & International Studies interview, Washington, D.C.
Robin Craig
December, 2022
"The Clean Water Act and the Ocean: An Unfulfilled Promise." Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Law 14 (2022): 3.
Robin Craig
December, 2022
"Rights of Nature Is Becoming a U.S. Reality." Natural Resources & Environment. Prepublished December 2, 2022.