Theoretical and Philosophical Approaches to Human Rights

This cluster investigates the philosophical and religious underpinnings of human rights and asks how various philosophical and religious traditions can helps us understand the human rights dilemmas we face today. It further addresses methodological issues related to studying human rights.

The cluster brings together researchers and professionals who have the following areas of interest:

  1. The concept of human rights: What does it mean to call something a human right?  Are human rights really ‘rights’?  The way that human rights rhetoric is used and/or misused;
  2. Human rights duties, responsibility and accountability;
  3. Socio-economic rights (particularly issues of health, gender, equality and power);
  4. The relationship between local and global human rights issues;
  5. Non-state actors (particularly corporate actors) and human rights; and
  6. Links between theoretical questions and practical questions.  Reflection on how this cluster relates to other GHRN clusters.

From Autumn 2018, discussion of theoretical and philosophical approaches has been integrated into The Human Rights Connection, a new programme of events from the Network as a whole.  Please see the Events section of the  Glasgow Human Rights Network website for details of these events.    

 

Cluster Convenor

To be confirmed.