PHIL 338A: READING ASSIGNMENTS

Except for the first day, readings should be done before the class meeting for which they are due. Reading assignments are taken from the following sources: (1) Required Text: Patrick Hayden, ed., The Philosophy of Human Rights, available for purchase at the University Book Store. (2) Optional Text: Talbott, Which Rights Should Be Universal?, available for purchase at the University Book Store. The readings from the Talbott text are also available in Volume 2 of the course reader. So you have a choice to purchase the Talbott text or Volume 2 of the course reader. Don't purchase both. (3) Course Reader (2 Volumes), available for purchase at the University Book Store. Everyone should purchase Volume 1. Those who don't purchase the optional Talbott text should purchase Volume 2. (4) Electronic Reserve (URL on PHIL 338 Web site).

Mon.-Tues. June 24-25: Introduction

Reading Assignment: (1) Talbott, Which Rights Should be Universal?, Chaps. 1-2. [READER Vol. 2, pp. 3-38 (plus endnotes), also available on E-RESERVES]

(2) U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Text pp. 353-358.

(3) Joel Feinberg, "The Nature and Value of Rights", Text pp. 174-186.

Wed. June 26: Negative Rights and Positive Rights

HW #1 DUE IN CLASS ON WED. JUNE 26.

Reading Assignment: (1) Maurice Cranston, "Human Rights, Real and Supposed", Text pp. 163-173.

(2) Henry Shue, Basic Rights, pp. 22-40. [READER pp. 3-12]

Thurs. June 27: Capabilities

(1) Martha C. Nussbaum, "Capabilities and Human Rights", Text pp. 212-240.

(2) Amartya Sen, "Development as Freedom", pp. 168-187. [ READER pp. pp. 92-101] [and notes].

Fri. June 28: Begin Theories of Rights

HW #2 DUE IN CLASS ON FRI. JUNE 28.

Reading Assignment: (1) John Locke, "The Second Treatise of Government", Text pp. 71-79.

Mon. July 1: More Theories of Rights

HW #3 POSTED ON PHIL 338 CANVAS DISCUSSION BOARD BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY JULY 1.

Reading Assignment: (1) John Stuart Mill, "Utilitarianism" and "On Liberty", Text pp. 136-146.

(2) John Rawls, Political Liberalism, pp. 15-28 and 271-278. [READER pp. 23-35]

Tues.. July 2: The Original Position

READ ALL OP POSTINGS BEFORE CLASS.

In class, we will go behind the Veil of Ignorance and continue the discussion begun in Homework Assignment #3.

Wed. July 3 and Friday July 5: Cultural Relativism (HOLIDAY ON THURSDAY JULY 4).

MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON FRIDAY JULY 5.

Reading Assignment: (1) American Anthropological Association (1947), "Statement on Human Rights" [READER pp. 13-15].

(2) Talbott, Chaps. 3-4. [READER, Vol. 2, pp. 39-86 (plus endnotes)]]

(3) American Anthropological Association (1999) "Declaration on Anthropology and Human Rights"

[READER I, pp. 86-87].

Monday July 8: Subjective or Objective Universality of Rights?

Reading Assignment: (1) Charles Taylor, ""A World Consensus on Human Rights?", Text pp. 409-422.

(2) Kwasi Wiredu, "An Akan Perspective on Human Rights", Text pp. 298-314.

(3) Dalai Lama, "Human Rights and Universal Responsibility", Text pp. 291-297.

Tuesday July 9: Midterm Review

No reading assignment.

Wednesday July 10: MIDTERM EXAM

Thurs. - Fri., July 11-12: Women's Rights

TOPIC FOR FINAL PROJECT TO BE APPROVED BY THE END OF CLASS ON FRIDAY JULY 12.

Reading Assignment for Thursday:

Reading Assignment: (1) Mary Wollstonecraft, "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman", Text pp. 101-108.

(2) Talbott, Chapter 5 [READER Vol. 2, pp. 87-112 (plus endnotes)]]

(3) Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im, "Human Rights in the Muslim World", Text pp. 315-335.

(4) Jan Goodwin, Price of Honor, pp. 43-45, 56-57, 113-116, and 263-270. [READER  pp. 36-46]

(5) Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom, pp. 194-203, 210-225, and notes. [READER pp. 102-114 (plus endnotes)]

Reading Assignment for Friday:

(6) Yael Tamir, "Hands Off Clitoridectomy", Boston Review (1996), pp. 21-22. [READER pp. 16-17]

(7) Martha Nussbaum, Jessica Neuwirth, Frances Kamm, and Robert P. George (correspondence), and Yael Tamir (replies), in Boston Review (October-November 1996), pp. 28-32. [READER pp. 18-22]

(3) Molly Melching, "You Are an African Woman", speech given at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, November 16, 2000. [READER pp. 88-91].

Mon. July 15: Feminist Criticisms of Rights

HW #4 DUE IN CLASS ON MONDAY JULY 15.

(1) Catharine A. MacKinnon, "Rape, Genocide, and Women's Human Rights", Text pp. 526-542.

(2) Arati Rao, "Right in the Home: Feminist Theoretical Perspectives on International Human Rights", Text pp. 505-525. [Note that in the second full paragraph on p. 511, "saneness" should be "sameness"; in the paragraph after the Pateman quote on p. 515, "lights" should be "rights".]

Tues. July 16: Robust Group Rights?

INTRODUCTION TO FINAL PROJECT POSTED ON PHIL 338 CANVAS DISCUSSION BOARD BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY JULY 16.

Reading Assignment: (1) African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Text pp. 359-366.

(2) James Crawford, "The Rights of Peoples: 'Peoples' or 'Governments'?", Text pp. 427-444.

(3) Will Kymlicka, "The Good, the Bad, and the Intolerable: Minority Group Rights", Text pp. 445-461.

Wed. July 17: Rights to Sexual and Gender Expression

SEND ME YOUR EMAIL VOTE FOR BEST INTRODUCTION BY NOON ON WED. JULY 17.

Reading Assignment: (1) Jack Donnelly, "Non-Discrimination and Sexual Orientation", Text pp. 547-573.

(2) Patrick Lee and Robert George, Body-Self Dualism in Contemporary Ethics and Politics, Chapter 6, “Sex and the Body,” pp. 176-217. [READER pp. 122-137.]

Thurs. July 18: International Enforcement of Human Rights

Reading Assignment: (1) Jamie Mayerfeld, "Who Shall Judge?: The United States, the International Criminal Court, and the Global Enforcement of Human Rights." [READER pp. 47-83]

(2) 10-16-2002 U.S. Restates Objections to International Criminal Court.  [READER pp. 84-85]

Fri. July 19: Historical Objections to Human Rights

FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON FRIDAY JULY 19.

Reading Assignment: (1) Edmund Burke, "Reflections on the Revolution in France", Text pp. 88-94.

(2) Karl Marx, "On the Jewish Question", Text pp. 126-135.

Mon. July 22: More Objections and Conclusion

FINAL PROJECT POSTED TO PHIL 338 CANVAS PAGE BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY, JULY 22.

Reading Assignment: (1) Richard Rorty, "Human Rights, Rationality, and Sentimentality", Text pp. 241-257.

(2) Talbott, Excerpts from Chaps. 8 and 9. [READER Vol. 2, pp. 166-173, 178-180, and 184-188]

Tues. July 23: Final Exam Review

No reading assignment.

Wed. July 24: Final Exam