This course will explore philosophic and religious sources outside the Western canon, on which Human Rights discourse can be based or from which Human Rights discourse can be approached and discussed. The course seeks to place Western Human Rights discourse in a global context by drawing attention to ways in which non-Western cultures (defined for our purposes as cultures not rooted in either Greco-Roman philosophy or Abrahamic religion) have addressed questions of individual versus group or state rights, the metaphysical and political sources of rights and obligations, and the possibility of universal human dignity. As I must assume that most students are unfamiliar with most non-Western traditions, it will be necessary to explore a number of primary or foundational texts so that, when we address Human Rights questions, you can make your own comparisons rather than merely relying on me. In addition to primary texts, we will of course look at a range of other work that attempts to place the traditions themselves within the overall context of Human Rights discourse, and at a number of international Human Rights instruments.
- Teacher: Rodger Wilkie