PHIL 450 - Rights

Institution:

University of Massachusetts-Boston

Subject:

Description:

3 Credits Often people claim rights and protest when rights are violated but what are rights Which rights do we have Why do we have rights Are there any natural rights Are there any absolute rights Are human rights inalienable and inviolable What are the grounds for their justification, and what is the range of their application This course examines the philosophical basis of rights discourse. It considers different rights-based approaches and contrasts them with non-rights-based theories. It examines a range of contemporary theories including those of Rawls, Nozick, Feinberg and Dworkin, outlines the classical tradition and introduces the work of legal positivists like Austin and Hart. It also explores criticisms of rights systems put forward by contemporary communitarians, virtue theorists and feminist theories. The course continues by studying specific rights (such as liberty, property, security, right to life-and right to die-subsistence) along with some of the philosophical and practical questions raised by conflicting interpretations. Some offering of this course explore how special rights attend to group differences by way of a critical analysis of gay rights and women rights.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.umb.edu

Phone Number:

(617) 287-5000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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