The Philosophy of Human Rights
What are human rights? If there are human rights, what duties or responsibilities, if any, follow from them, and who is morally obligated to bear those duties? In this seminar, we will investigate the philosophical origins and development of the concept of human rights. We will critically analyze both historical and contemporary moral perspectives on the existence and nature of human rights. What does it mean to say that one possesses a human right? In addition to examining the existence and nature of human rights, we will take a close look at the issue of human rights related to world poverty and minority group rights.