Theories of Human Rights

Catalog description

This course examines the nature and origin of human rights, as well as the conflicts and debates that result from the different understanding of the concept. We will explore questions such as; Are human rights individual or collective? Are they universal or should instead be understood as culturally sensitive? Do they include positive rights or only negative rights? And what about economic and social rights? Providing answers to these questions will allow us to understand our own political, economic, and social beliefs, as well as approaches that are different from ours. In order to answer these questions, the course will combine discussions about the concept of human rights with analyses of current cases of human rights violations around the world, including the origin of these violations, desired changes, politics, and effective actions.