Introduction to the History, Philosophy, and Politics of Human Rights
Please note that three course codes are available:
- HUMR5130 is a 15 credits Master's level course
- HUMR4130 is a 10 credits Master's level course, differentiated from HUMR5130 by the latter having a) additional readings from the books by Nickel, Freeman, and Nussbaum (233pp); moreover b) school exams may differ to the effect that HUMR5130 candidates may have to answer additional questions, or different questions, from those to be answered by HUMR4130 candidates.
- HUMR1130 is a 10 credits Bachelor's level course differentiated from the Master's level courses by the somewhat lower requirements of knowledge and understanding. Grading system: Pass/fail.
Note that there are different achievement requirements for courses at bachelor's and master's level:
- Master’s level: (HUMR5130 - 15 credits, and HUMR4130 - 10 credits): A good understanding is required
- Bachelor’s level (HUMR1130 - 10 credits): A general understanding is required
Achievement requirements
Achievement requirements for master’s level (HUMR5130 and 4130 -15/10 credits): This course will, successfully completed, provide you with a good understanding of basic conceptual features of modern human rights, including standard justifications and criticisms, of the relationships between human rights and comprehensive moral and political doctrines, and of how they relate to moral and cultural relativism. You will understand the complex, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous ways human rights promotion operate in transnational, international, and domestic contexts.
Achievement requirements for bachelor's level (HUMR1130 - 10 credits): This course will, successfully completed, provide you with a general understanding of basic conceptual features of modern human rights, including standard justifications and criticisms, of the relationships between human rights and comprehensive moral and political doctrines, and of how they relate to moral and cultural relativism. You will understand the complex, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous ways human rights promotion operate in transnational, international, and domestic contexts.
Required reading for HUMR4130 (10 credits, Master's level) and HUMR1130 (10 credits, Bachelor's level)
Chapters or sections from books:
Books can be bought from the bookstore Gnist Akademika, Domus Nova building (Law faculty).
James W. Nickel, Making Sense of Human Rights, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2007:53-184 130pp
Michael Ignatieff, Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001:3-98 96pp
Tore Lindholm, W. Cole Durham Jr, and Bahia Tahzib-Lie eds., Facilitating Freedom of Religion or Belief: A Deskbook, Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2004:xxxvi-xlii, 24-56, 147-172, 209-238 [texts by Tore Lindholm, Javier Martínez-Torrón/Rafael Navarro-Valls, and Manfred Novak/Tanja Vospernik] (the book is expensive. Some exemplaires of the book is available at the NCHR Library for copying) 96pp.
David P. Forsythe, Human Rights in International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006: pp. 57-86, 152-185, and 188-216 90pp
Chapters and articles in compendium:
The compilation of texts (compendium) can be bought in the bookstore Gnist Akademika, Domus Nova building (Law faculty).
Christian Tomuschat, “History of Human Rights”, Human Rights Between Idealism and Realism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003:6-23 17pp
Jack Donnelly, “The Relative Universality of Human Rights”, Human Rights Quarterly Vol. 29, No. 2 May 2007:281-305 24pp
James W. Nickel, “Who Needs Freedom of Religion?” University of Colorado Law ReviewVol. 76 Issue 4, 2005:941-964 23pp
Tore Lindholm, “The Cross-Cultural Legitimacy of Universal Human Rights: Plural Justification Across Normative Divides”, Francesco Francioni and Martin Scheinin, eds. Cultural Human Rights, Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff publishers, 2008:17-37 20pp
The following articles will be available for the students at the beginning of the course either as a handout or in a compendium:
Joseph Chan, “A Confucian Perspective on Human Rights for Contemporary China”, in: Joanne R. Bauer and Daniel A. Bell, eds, The East Asian Challenge to Human Rights, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999:212-237, 26pp.
Joshua Cohen, “Minimalism About Human Rights: The Most We Can Hope For?” Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol. 12, No. 2004:190-213 24pp.
Mandatory readings for HUMR4130 and HUMR1130 in total: 544pp
Required reading for HUMR5130 (15 credits, Master's level), in addition to the readings for of HUMR4130 and HUMR1130:
Chapters or sections from books:
Khaled Abou El Fadl, “The Human Rights Commitment in Modern Islam”, Josephe Runzo, Nancy M. Martin and Arvind Sharma, eds., Human Rights and Responsibilities in the word Relgions, Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2003:301-264: 63pp
James W. Nickel, Making Sense of Human Rights, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2007:1-52 and 185-189, 56pp
David P. Forsythe, Human Rights in International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006: pp. 89-120 and 218-240, 61pp
Chapters and articles in compendium:
Alan Gewirth, “The Basis and Content of Human Rights”, Human Rights: Essays in Justification and Applications, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982:41-78 37pp
Michael Goodhart, “Neither Relative nor Universal: A Response to Donnelly” and, replying, Jack Donnelly, “Human Rights: Both Universal and Relative (A Reply Michael Goodhart)”, Human Rights Quarterly Vol. 30, No. 1 February 2008:183-204 22pp
Mandatory readings for HUMR5130 in total: 783pp
Recommended basic readings for all courses presented here include:
Buergenthal, Thomas, et al.; International Human Rights in a Nutshell, 3rd Ed., St Paul, Minn.: West Publishing Company, 2002:27-180 and 347-377
David P. Forsythe, Human Rights in International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006 (The chapters of the book not included in the course readings)
Makau wa Mutua, “The Ideology of Human Rights”, Virginia Journal of International Law, Vol. 36, 1996:589-657
Michael Ignatieff, Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001 (the chapters of the book not included in the course readings).