Ateneo - UPO

History and theory of human rights

The materials will be made available via the DIR platform of both parts of the course (International political thought and International law). Introductory books (non mandatory) to the first part of the course are: N. Bobbio, Lezioni sulla guerra e sulla pace, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2024; M. Flores, Storia dei diritti umani, Bologna, il Mulino, 2023 (3a ed.). Non mandatory textbooks for the second part of the course are: P. Pustorino, Tutela internazionale dei diritti umani, Bari, Cacucci, 2022; F. Salerno, A. Annoni, La tutela internazionale della persona umana nei conflitti armati, Bari, Cacucci, 2023.

This course aims, at a basic level, to provide students with: 1. (knowledge and understanding): the basic knowledge related to the theories of war and peace and of human rights that are the subject of the history of international political thought, as well as the essential conceptual tools of international human rights law; 2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): the basic methodological tools to understand the different traditions of international political thought and how human rights protection works in the international order; 3. (autonomy of judgment): the ability to exercise sufficient independence of judgment ; 4. (communication skills): the ability to present the knowledge acquired in a manner and clear and correct; 5. (learning skills): a sufficient ability to analyze texts and connect the topics covered. At a more advanced level, the course aims to enable the acquisition of: 1. (knowledge and understanding): a thorough knowledge of the different traditions in the history of international political thought and the main authors of reference, and a critical understanding of some of the dynamics of the relations between the state and the individual and their reflections at the international level; 2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): a good ability to reconstruct the traditions of thought and key historical junctures that have marked the history of both international relations and international law; 3. (autonomy of judgment): a good ability to critically analyze the concepts, the authors and the documents examined; 4. (communication skills): a good ability to present clearly and correctly knowledge acquired, showing full command of terminology and vocabulary, in oral and written form; 5. (learning skills): a good ability to analyze texts and link the topics covered, demonstrating awareness of the different methodological and interpretative perspectives in relation to the concepts of war, peace, society of states, international order, international politics, the law of nations, humanitarian law, and human rights law, also with reference to the contemporary international contexts.

General historical and cultural knowledge acquired during the bachelor's degree program.

Lessons, seminars, reading and comment of documents and texts.

The course will take place in the second semester of 2025-26. Please register for the two parts of the course (International political thought and International Law) via the DIR platform. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Learning will be tested by: 1. an oral exam designed to ascertain knowledge of the concepts and topics covered during the first part of the course (International political thought); 2. a final paper on a topic of your choice agreed with the lecturer and dealing in depth with the topics covered during the second part of the course. Basic knowledge of the topics covered and sufficient ability to express oneself in written and oral form will be evaluated as sufficient. The ability to make connections, to make critical judgments on the topics covered, and autonomy in choosing a research path will be evaluated with maximum marks. The grade is expressed in thirtieths, and the evaluation is made according to the following parameters: 1) knowledge and understanding of the main topics covered: 18 points out of 30 (sufficiency); 2) ability to clearly and correctly expound the knowledge acquired: 6 points out of 30; 3) ability to establish connections between the topics covered and to investigate them critically and with independent judgment: 6 points out of 30. The final mark is the result of the mathematical average of the marks obtained in the midterm exams.

The course focuses on the history and theory of human rights and consists of two parts, the first on the history of international political thought and the second on international law. The first module will reconstruct the texts and contexts in which the theories of human rights and the law of war (today humanitarian law) took shape. In particular, it will consider the different traditions of international political thought (realist positions, just war theories, different forms of pacifism, and legal globalism) that have helped shape current conceptions of international justice. The second module aims to provide a critical analysis of human rights, their normative foundations, the main international legal instruments, and their relationship with international humanitarian law, drawing on a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which the progressive emergence of human rights norms has affected the general structure of the international legal system. Concrete case studies will be used to illustrate the variety of situations in which international human rights norms may be relevant.

In order to attain the knowledge and corresponding skills at the basic level, students should demonstrate: 1. (knowledge and understanding): to have acquired sufficient knowledge of the different theories of war and peace from the sixteenth century to the present day; 2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): to be able to recognize the different theoretical positions with respect to the concepts of just war, humanitarian war, regular war, hybrid war, on the one hand, nonviolence, negative peace as well as positive peace, on the other; 3. (independent judgment): to be able to recognize the main theories of international political thought; 4. (communication skills): be able to present acquired knowledge clearly and correctly; 5. (learning skills): to have acquired sufficient ability to analyze texts and connect the topics covered. For the attainment of advanced level, students will be required to demonstrate: 1. (knowledge and understanding): to have acquired a thorough knowledge of the various traditions of international political thought; 2. (ability to apply knowledge understanding): to be able to reconstruct in a precise and thorough manner the arguments of the authors and traditions of thought considered, and to use the conceptual tools employed by them to understand the current international context; 3. (independent judgment): to be able to critically present the construction of traditions and political contexts of internationalist theories; 4. (communication skills): to be able to present the acquired knowledge clearly and correctly, showing full command of terminology and vocabulary; 5. (learning skills): having acquired a good ability to analyze texts and connect the topics covered, demonstrating awareness of the historical depth and theoretical complexity relative to the history of international political thought.