Political Philosophy and Natural Rights Quiz

Lesson 1 - Conceptual Approach

• Human rights are inherent entitlements based on being human, but there is no single definition.
• Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
• The concept of "human" is complex and has been subject to historical exclusion and discrimination.
• The definition of when someone becomes a "legal person" is complicated.
• Dignity distinguishes humans from other species, despite genetic similarities.

Characteristics of Human Rights

• Inalienability: Human rights cannot be removed, even with consent.
• Challenges to inalienability: Privacy and surrogate motherhood raise ethical issues about the extent to which rights can be relinquished.
• Universality: Human rights apply equally to all, regardless of location or status.
• Challenges to universality: Cultural relativism and territoriality raise questions about implementation in different cultures and regions.
• Indivisibility: All rights are interconnected and interdependent; none is more significant than another.

Lesson 2 - The Historical Origins of Human Rights

• Classical Greece and Rome: Ancient Roman law introduced the concepts of ius civile (Roman citizens' law) and ius gentium (law of nations).
• Ius civile was exclusionary, while ius gentium was more universal, reflecting the principle that all individuals, including rulers, are subject to the law.
• Medieval Christendom: Natural law emerged as a framework for moral and legal systems based on rational order established by God.
• Thomas Aquinas: A key figure in formalizing natural law within Christian thought, arguing that natural law derives from eternal law (God's divine plan).
• Magna Carta (1215): A significant milestone in the evolution of human rights, albeit initially for a limited elite, it established the principle that all individuals, including rulers, are subject to the law.

Lesson 3 - Human Dignity

• Dignity in Ancient Thought: Ancient conceptions of dignity were often particularistic, associated with hierarchy, virtue, and recognition.
• Ancient Rome - The Ciceronian Vision: Dignitas was seen as associated with hierarchy, a virtue of the distinguished few.
• The Kantian Approach: Immanuel Kant redefined human dignity as inherent and universally valuable, independent of social class or status.
• Modern Dignity: The modern concept of dignity emphasizes equality and universal respect for all individuals, no matter their social position.

Lesson 4 - International Protection of Human Rights

• UN Charter: Early references to human rights were not the primary focus; the initial priority was ensuring peace and security.
• UN Charter (1945) marked a transformation in international law. It established the UN as an international body with a commitment to maintaining peace and security through international cooperation.
• Legal Source, Organ and Procedure: Legal source, organ, and procedure help establish the legal obligation and ways to monitor the compliance of obligations in States.

Lesson 5 - Civil and Political Rights

• ICCPR (1966): A legally binding treaty outlining civil and political rights for all human beings.
• Covenants: Universal and legally binding treaties guaranteeing specific rights to all, such as the right to live freely, for all persons within its jurisdiction regardless of their legal status
• Distinctions: In practice, civil rights, mainly individual, and social, mainly collective, rights are frequently prioritized over the other.
• The focus on civil and political rights at the time of the UN was mainly because the main actors were still states and the UN only recently had started taking into account individuals’ rights.

Lesson 6 - Social Rights

• The development and recognition of social rights within the context of the 20th century and their differences from civil and political rights which have historically been recognised instead.
• The emergence of welfare states and labor movements. The social contract that establishes that the state also has responsibilities toward citizens.
• Social Rights: Rights related to social well-being, such as healthcare and education
• Distinction from political and civil rights.

Lesson 7 - Democracy and Self-Determination

• History of Democracy: From ancient Greece to the Enlightenment, the evolution of democratic ideals and practices.
• Basic Principles of Democracy: Rule of law, separation of powers, participation, majority rule, minority rights, and free and fair elections.
• Self-Determination: The right of a people to determine their own political status and pursue economic, social, and cultural development.
• Intersection with Human Rights: Self-determination often involves respect for individual rights and cultural diversity, and the role of state protection.

Lesson 8 - Women's Rights

• Historical Discrimination: Throughout history, women have often been subjected to discrimination based on biological or societal factors, resulting in a systemic disadvantage and limitations in their access to human rights.
• Feminist Movement: Waves of the feminist movement that focused on achieving gender equality through legal, social, and political reforms.
• UN Instruments: The UN has been a crucial player in promoting women's rights through conventions and other instruments.

Lesson 9 - The Rights of the Child

• Conceptualizing the rights of children: Defining the concept of 'child' and their importance in international law.
• Evolution of Child's Rights: From historically limited roles for children in societies, gradually recognizing children as individuals to be protected and empowered.
• Key Provisions of the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child): A legally binding international convention establishing the rights of the child.
• Importance of children's participation: Acknowledging children as rights-holders who participate in their own development and experience through the various facets of their lives.

Lesson 10 - Disability Rights

• Historical Treatment: The historical treatment of disability, often influenced by religious or medical models leading to exclusion and stigmatization; the evolution of understanding different models of disabilities (prescindence versus medical).
• Emerging in the 1970s, the social model of disability shifts the focus from individual impairments to societal barriers and promotes the idea of providing resources, making necessary adaptations to fit people in with disabilities.
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD): A landmark convention promoting equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, and individual human rights of persons with disabilities.
• Core Principles: Dignity, equality, accessibility, and self-determination for people with disabilities.

Lesson 11 - The Rights of Migrants and Refugees

• Overview: Discussing migration and displacement as global issues, driven by economic factors, conflict, environmental crises, human rights abuses.
• International Instruments and frameworks: The 1951 Refugee Convention and its Protocols, and the concept of the right to seek asylum.
• Interconnections with other rights: Demonstrating that the protection of migrants and refugees, particularly those with potential to be expelled, should respect the same rights that already exist to persons living in any country; the 1990 Migrant Workers' Conventions, which are not nearly as present in world law as the 1951 refugee convention.
• Challenges and Issues: The difficulties facing migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, along with threats of human trafficking and smuggling.

Lesson 12 - Human Rights Violations

• Introduction: Defining human rights violations as instances where states, organizations, or individuals fail to uphold their legal obligations.
• Individual and State Accountability: Examining the differing levels of responsibilities for violations, whether for individuals or states.
• Key Areas of Focus: Discussions related to torture and cruel treatment, terrorism, and the role of transitional justice in addressing past violations.
• Mechanisms: Detailing mechanisms used to identify, address and resolve violations of human rights.

Test your knowledge on the key concepts of political philosophy during the Scientific Revolution. This quiz explores natural rights, social contract theory, and important historical events such as the American and English Revolutions. Challenge yourself with questions about influential philosophers and foundational principles of governance.