Human rights in global politics

The global human rights regime, the principles, norms, and rules designed to protect all individuals regardless of their place and position, is a contemporary creation. In this unit you will investigate the philosophical origins of both the concept of universal human rights as well as the efforts to enshrine and protect these rights through the 20th and 21st centuries. You will explore the tension between this universalist principle and the role of states as both protectors and violators of human rights, the role of international organisations as well as legal mechanisms championing human rights, as well as critical voices who question the utility and purpose of the global human rights regime. You will probe these ideas via individual and collaborative research projects and in-class discussion.