Human Rights: For and Against

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Should, or do, human rights exist? If so, have they always existed? If not, where did they come from? We will search for historical and philosophical answers to these questions. Natural law and rights were invoked in the aftermath of the Conquest of the Americas, in the American, French and Haitian Revolutions, and in the founding of the United Nations. Yet, inalienable rights have not only had friends but also foes such as Jeremy Bentham or Karl Marx. We will examine how contemporary proponents and critics of human rights view their value and impact on domestic and international politics. Enrollment limited to 20 juniors and seniors.