Philosophy 234hr - Topics in Philosophy of Human Nature-Human Rights and Justice

This course surveys different accounts of human rights and theoretical concerns in the critical theory of human needs. In the first part of the course, the class focuses on the most important historical and philosophical theories of human rights to get a general sense of how the tradition of western philosophy has articulated this concept. Students also look at some decolonial and critical theories of this western tradition. In the second part, the class examines the tension between human rights and human needs. Students will pay attention to the literature about the problem of “needs” as they feature in the critique of capitalist society. (E)