Human Rights History

Course content

This course is about the origins of human rights. It traces the roots of universal human rights as formulated by the covenants and conventions of the 20th century in different ideas, cultures, and civilizations. While underlining the plurality of human experience, and particularities of different ideas, cultures, and civilizations this course explains how these all eventually culminated in internationally recognized UN documents on human rights. In so doing, this course explores the idea of rights, individual protection, liberty, and social welfare in the ancient world, major religious traditions, and the enlightenment and industrial revolution. The emergence of civil and political rights, economic and social rights, and the right to self-determination are explored in a historical context. The origins of humanitarian intervention in the just war theory and the emergence of humanitarian law with regard to slavery and warfare are also covered. This course is concluded with a general evaluation of how different historical experiences, traditions, and ideas have contributed to the contemporary approaches, institutions, and practice of human rights.