PHIL 238 - Introduction to Philosophy of Human Rights

Credits: 5
Introduces students to some of the major issues concerning human rights. Sample topics include: Are there such things as human rights? Are human rights universal or are they culturally relative? Are minority rights exceptions to or different from human rights? Do future people have rights?

Prerequisite: Eligible for ENGL 099 or instructor’s permission.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English and Diversity

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Demonstrate command of important philosophical terminology, themes, and arguments related to the nature of rights and their expression.
State and evaluate non-trivial theories and arguments related to human rights.
Recognize the dominance of Eurocentric philosophical perspectives.
Evaluate the suppression or denigration of minority and indigenous philosophical perspectives.

Program Outcomes

Form, analyze, and assess beliefs while demonstrating intellectual humility and respect towards the beliefs of others.
Analyze cultural perspectives and values of a multicultural world.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.