PHIL 338, Philosophy of Human Rights

Talbott (5 credits)

MWF 11:30-12:20 in Miller 301

This course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of human rights. The course begins with an overview of the main issues in the conceptualization and justification of human rights. The course then considers the following special topics: Should human rights be understood only negatively, as rights not to be coerced, or they include positive rights—that is, rights to be provided with something (e.g., subsistence, health care, or education). Are human rights culturally relative? We will consider the position that human rights reflect "Western values" and do not apply to other societies. We will also consider the potential conflict between women's rights and traditional values; and feminist criticisms of human rights as androcentric.

Other questions include: Are there gay and lesbian rights? Are human rights individual rights, or do they also include group rights? We will also discuss international enforcement and the role of the International Criminal Court. There will be a Midterm Exam, a Final Exam, and several short written assignments and either a research paper on a human rights issue or a service learning report. This course qualifies as a core course for the Human Rights Minor. Meets I&S Requirement.

Prerequisites: None.

Required Texts: Patrick Hayden, The Philosophy of Human Rights; Volume 1 of the course reader; and articles on electronic reserve.

Optional: William J. Talbott, Which Rights Should Be Universal? and Volume 2 of the course reader. Volume 2 of the course reader contains the readings from the Talbott volume. You should buy one of them, but you have the option to choose the one you want.