STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN HUMANISM: PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN DIGNITY【F Block】

概要

Many of us believe that all human beings have certain inalienable rights just because they are human beings. However, it is only a few centuries ago that the idea of human rights first appeared in the history of the human kind, and it is only in the past few decades that human rights became part of the vocabulary of the general public in many areas of the world. Not only some people simply disapprove the idea but also those who approve the idea disagree about the content, purpose or justification of human rights. This course aims to reflect philosophically on the idea of human rights. We will start with looking into several Japanese thinkers of the 19th century who struggled to understand the idea of human rights and translate it into Japanese in order to introduce it into the Japanese society. Then we will discuss some fundamental questions about the universality, purpose, justification and content of human rights, studying different answers given by past and contemporary philosophers. Such an investigation will necessarily lead us to a philosophical reflection on the nature of human person and human dignity.

目標

(1) To learn to think philosophically through dialogue with others. (2) To know different theories of human rights and human dignity. (3) To develop one's own understanding of human rights and human dignity. (4) To understand the relevance of philosophical thinking in Christian humanism.

授業外の学習

(1) To read the assigned reading material (5-10 pages) and write one's own opinions and questions. (2) To think about the questions raised in class for yourself and together with your colleagues, friends and/or family members. (3) To prepare a mid-term essay based on the lectures and class discussions.

所要時間: 190 minutes