Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3262: The Idea of Human Rights

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level 6
Credits 15 ECTS Value 7.5
Term(s) and duration

This module ran during term 1 (11 weeks)

Academic staff

Professor Robert Lamb (Convenor)

Pre-requisites

none

Co-requisites

none

Available via distance learning

No

The idea of human rights – the belief that each individual is a bearer of a set of fundamental and inviolable entitlements – is a central feature of modern political discourse, regarded by many as the crowning achievement of modernity. In this module, we consider the normative and conceptual challenges involved in theorizing the idea of human rights, including questions about its philosophical foundations and political implications. We will read a number of philosophical texts, including those of John Rawls, Richard Rorty, Hannah Arendt, Thomas Paine, and James Griffin. The module will appeal to students who enjoy political philosophy and the history of ideas

Module created

26/01/2020

Last revised

26/01/2020