HUMAN RIGHTS: HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
Anno accademico 2017/2018 - 1° anno- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH: Giorgia Agata Costanzo
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH: Luigi Caranti
SSD
- SPS/02 - Storia delle dottrine politiche
- SPS/01 - Filosofia politica
Semestre: 2°
Prerequisiti richiesti
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH
Conoscenze di base di storia del pensiero politico occidentale
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
The course in entirely taught in English. Hence at least a B1 knowledge of English is required.
Frequenza lezioni
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH
Obbligatoria
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Mandatory (threshold of 75%, below which course is failed)
Contenuti del corso
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH
Il corso prende in esame l'affermazione di dottrine politiche concernenti il diritto di natura e la legge di natura attraverso lo studio di articoli e saggi ad opera di importanti filosofi e autori di età moderna e contemporanea che al tema si sono dedicati. Lo studente sarà così in grado di meglio comprendere le origini di ciò che oggi definiamo “diritti umani” in una prospettiva che si fonda sulla tradizione di pensiero prevalentemente occidentale. Al termine del modulo, lo studente sarà in grado di mettere a fuoco quel percorso storico che ha segnato il passaggio dalla legge naturale e dal diritto naturale ai diritti umani, individuando continuità e mutamenti relativi ai dibattiti e alle rivendicazioni sui diritti succedutisi in questo arco temporale, al fine di esplorare come gli stessi si siano storicamente affermati, giustificati e difesi. Il corso mira a far acquisire agli studenti una comprensione e una prospettiva critica sulla storia delle rivendicazioni dei diritti fondamentali che hanno certamente influenzato i documenti sui diritti umani redatti in epoca successiva.
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Although discussions about international issues often make reference to the notion of Human Rights – the war in Syria and the ensuing migration of refugees are obvious examples – the philosophical foundations of these rights, their claim to cross-cultural universality, their ability to be a sort of secularized religion of mankind are controversial. This seminar aims to introduce students to the philosophical debate on these issues and to stimulate independent yet informed thinking. Besides the problem of the foundation of human rights, if there is one or if one is ever needed, the course will explore more concrete issues such as the Responsbility to protect, the Asian and Islamic challenges to Human Rights, the question whether democracy is to be considered a human right, the problem of what contraints do human rights impose on the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers.
Testi di riferimento
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH
- Samuel Moyn, The Last Utopia - Human Rights in History, Harward University Press, 2012 (paperback edition).
- Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights - A History, W W Norton &Co, 2008.
- John Finnis, Natural Law and Natural Rights, Oxford, 2011.
- M. Ishay, The History of Human Rights - From Ancient Times To The Globalization Era, University of California Press, 2008.
- R. Tuck, Natural Rights Theories : Their Origin and Development, Cambridge University Press, 1981.
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M., “The Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. An Overview”, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.1-23.
Tasioulas, John, "On the Foundations of Human Rights" in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.45-70.
Nagel, Thomas, "Personal Rights and Public Space" Philosophy & Public Affairs, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Spring, 1995), pp. 83-107.
Raz, Joseph, “Human Rights Without Foundations”, The Philosophy of International Law (henceforth PIL), OUP, 2010: 321-337.
Waldron, J., "Is Dignity the Foundation of Human Rights?" in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.117-137.
Simmons, J. "Human Rights, Natural Rights, Human Dignity" in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.138-152.
Buchanan, Allen, “The Egalitarianism of Human Rights”, Ethics, Vol. 120, No. 4 (July 2010), pp. 679-710.
Caranti, L., “Human Rights and Democracy” in T. Cushman (Ed.), Handbook of Human Rights, Routledge 2011, 85-99.
Christiano, Thomas “Self-Determination and the Human Right to Democracy” in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.459-480.
Peter, Fabienne, “A Human Rights to Democracy?”, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.481-491.
Jiwei Ci, “Liberty Rights and the Limits of Liberal Democracy” in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.588-607.
Li, Xiarong “Asian Values and the Universality of Human Rights” PHR, p.397-408
An-Nai’im, Abdullahi A., “Human Rights in the Muslim World”, PHR, p.315-334
El Fadl, Kahled Abou, “Islam and the Challenge of Democracy” Boston Review, April/March 2003 (available on line http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.2/abou.html)
“The Responsibility to Protect”, available on line (http://responsibilitytoprotect.org/ICISS%20Report.pdf). In particular p. 1-55.
Held, Virginia Care and Human Rights? in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.624-641
Mendus, Susan Care and Human Rights. A Reply to Virginia Held, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.642-652
Programmazione del corso
| HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH | |||
| Argomenti | Riferimenti testi | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | History of Human Rights or Human Rights in History | S. Moyn/ M.Ishay | |
| 2 | Natural Law and Natural Rights | J. Finnis | |
| 3 | Hugo Grotius: Human Nature and the Ethics of War | R. Tuck | |
| 4 | Thomas Hobbes, the right to life and the Responsibility to Protect | R. Tuck | |
| 5 | John Locke and the right to bear arms | Essay of M. Tunick | |
| 6 | Human Rights and the Enlightment:Declaring Rights | M. Ishay/L. Hunt | |
| 7 | The French Revolution and Human Rights | L. Hunt | |
| 8 | Olympe De Gouge's Declaration of the Rights of Woman | L. Hunt | |
| 9 | Declaring Rights in America: The U.S Bill of Rights | L. Hunt | |
| 10 | The world wars and the search for new solutions: the UDHR | L. Hunt | |
| 11 | Human Rights as the last Utopia? | S. Moyn | |
| HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH | |||
| Argomenti | Riferimenti testi | ||
| 1 | The philosophical foundations of human rights. The contemporary debate | Cruft Liao Renzo Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights | |
| 2 | Pluralist Foundations | Tasioulas, John, ''On the Foundations of Human Rights'' in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.45-70. | |
| 3 | Political Foundations | Raz, Joseph, “Human Rights Without Foundations”, The Philosophy of International Law (henceforth PIL), OUP, 2010: 321-337 | |
| 4 | Human Rights and International Law | Buchanan, A. "Why International Legal Human Rights? “The Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. An Overview”, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.244-262. | |
| 5 | Human Dignity and Human rights | Waldron, J., "Is Dignity the Foundation of Human Rights?" | |
| 6 | Human Dignity and Human rights | Simmons, J. "Human Rights, Natural Rights, Human Dignity" | |
| 7 | Democracy, Equality and Human Rights | Buchanan, Allen, “The Egalitarianism of Human Rights”, Ethics, Vol. 120, No. 4 (July 2010), pp. 679-710. | |
| 8 | Democracy, Equality and Human Rights | Cristiano, Thomas “Self-Determination and the Human Right to Democracy” in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.459-480. | |
| 9 | Democracy, Equality and Human Rights | Peter, Fabienne, “A Human Rights to Democracy?”, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.481-491. | |
| 10 | Universalism and Pluralism: the Asian and the Islamic Challenges | Li, Xiarong “Asian Values and the Universality of Human Rights” PHR, p.397-408 | |
| 11 | Universalism and Pluralism: the Asian and the Islamic Challenges | An-Nai’im, Abdullahi A., “Human Rights in the Muslim World”, PHR, p.315-334 | |
| 12 | Right to Intervention and Responsibility to Protect | “The Responsibility to Protect”, available on line (http://responsibilitytoprotect.org/ICISS%20Report.pdf). In particular p. 1-55. | |
| 13 | The Feminist Critique: Are Human Rights Patriarchal? | Held, Virginia Care and Human Rights? in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.624-641 | |
| 14 | The Feminist Critique: Are Human Rights Patriarchal? | Mendus, Susan Care and Human Rights. A Reply to Virginia Held, in Cruft R., Liao S. M., and Renzo M. (eds.) Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights. Oxford: 2015, p.642-652 | |
Verifica dell'apprendimento
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A HISTORICAL APPROACH
L'esame è articolato in due momenti: una prova in itinere effettuata a metà del corso e una prova finale fissata nelle date ufficiali indicate nel calendario. La media dei voti riportati dallo studente nelle due prove costituirà il voto finale conseguito per il presente modulo.
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Assessment will take place by looking at four aspects of students’ performance: 1) Participation in class, 2) Presentation, 3) Final paper, 4) Final oral exam
Grade Weights:
Participation in class: 25%
Presentation in class: 25%
Final paper: 25%
Final oral exam : 25%
Esempi di domande e/o esercizi frequenti
- HUMAN RIGHTS: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
Examples of topics for final papers:
Human rights and the Islamic Perspective. Women and non-Muslims
A MATTER OF ECONOMY OR A SYSTEM OF VALUES? THE CHOICE OF THE AMERICAN TARGET AND DETERMINANTS OF TERRORISM SUPPORT
A new approach to Human Rights: Ethics of care. A deep analysis of the approach and a comparison with some other theories
Human Rights: Between universality and cultural relativism?
Examples of question for final oral exams:
Can you describe the three main orientation in the contemporary philosophy of human rights?
Can you summarize the main points of Chirstiano's paper on human rights and democracy?
Can you summarize the main points of Kok Chor Tan's paper?
Can you summarize the main points of R2P?