General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6068 / JDOC6068 |
| Course name: | Human Rights: History, Theory and Politics |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credit / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
The field of human rights is dynamic, with emerging social movements and competing conceptions of justice constantly reshaping what can be plausibly demanded as a human right. This course explores persistent and new debates in the field, building a historico-theoretical foundation to consider the utility and promise of human rights as a vehicle for transformation in the present day. The course is structured around three main areas: the history of human rights, theories of human rights, and the politics and shortcomings of human rights.
First, we will discuss various historical perspectives on human rights. We will consider the social, cultural, and political conditions under which they developed. We will learn to articulate different historical foundations for human rights and to situate the movement for human rights within a wider framework of international, regional, and national governance.
The second part of the course focuses on articulating different theoretical foundations for human rights. We will address several questions, such as: What is a human right? What are the various grounds of human rights? What are the advantages and drawbacks of these grounds, and why does conceptualizing them matter? Considering that dignity has a particularly important place among such grounds, we will also ask: What is dignity, and what are its advantages and disadvantages? Global South perspectives will also be explored.
Theoretical discussions will be accompanied by concrete problems that various human rights theories might help conceptualize and solve. We will apply the theoretical background to emerging social and political crises. For example, we will explore the contemporary issue of gestational surrogacy (or similar questions) and the various approaches to it suggested by different human rights theories. Similarly, we will examine how contemporary questions of multiculturalism and universalism might apply to specific human rights issues. Finally, we will analyze different ways to measure the “success” of human rights.
In the third part of the course, we will adopt a more critical perspective on human rights to assess the promise and, importantly, limitations of different strategies for human rights. We will consider whether human rights should be accompanied by duties and why. Furthermore, we will discuss how human rights can backfire and become politicized.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Stefano Osella | osella@hku.hk | CCT 504 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Articulate different theoretical and historical foundations for human rights.
CLO 2 Assess the promise and limitations of different strategies for enforcing or guaranteeing human rights.
CLO 3 Situate human rights movements within a wider framework of international, regional, and national governance.
CLO 4 Apply human rights frameworks to emerging social and political crises.
CLO 5 Identify ways to determine the success or failure of human rights as a tool for achieving change.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class participation and reaction questions | TBC | 15% | 4, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Intermediate written test | 16 Mar 2025 | 25% | 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Final assignment | TBC | 60% | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
Use of AI
AI will not be allowed to complete the intermediate and final tests. However, throughout the course, we will learn strategies to use AI in an ethical and productive way. We will approach AI critically and use it to improve our learning outcomes.
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by the convenor.
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/