This course focuses on personal injury law, as it has developed within the Anglo-American legal tradition. In particular, the concept of negligence and the refinements of negligence law will be extensively considered. The doctrine of intentional torts will also be examined. Contemporary rules and strict liability will be carefully studied, because of both their intrinsic importance and their theoretical implications. Treating the need for victim compensation as a societal problem, the course will deal with alternatives to the tort system such as no-fault. Throughout the course, there will be an effort to identify the basic purposes which our tort system achieves, or should achieve.