Module manager: Dr Kerri Woods
Email: K.Woods@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| PIED3608 | Philosophy of Human Rights |
PIED3608 Philosophy of Human Rights
This module is approved as a discovery module
What are human rights? Why do humans have human rights? What human rights should humans have? Human rights are embedded in national and international legal and political practice and are widely accepted as minimum moral standards. Yet, human rights abuses continue to be endemic. In light of this paradox, human rights theorists challenge us to rethink our assumptions about the nature, justification, validity and scope of human rights claims in the contemporary world.
This module aims
- To introduce students to important conceptual and normative issues in contemporary human rights theory.
- To equip students to analyse and evaluate a range of arguments and positions in relation to these issues.
- To develop students’ ability to reflect on, summarise and present the key issues and their analyses of them orally and/or in writing.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1.Critically analyse and explain key normative and conceptual issues in the ethics and politics of human rights, demonstrating understanding of their theoretical foundations.
2. Critically evaluate and connect normative and conceptual debates in human rights theory to wider issues in contemporary legal and political practice.
3.Interpret and assess the problems addressed by major texts in human rights theory, and appraise their relevance for contemporary human rights challenges.
4.Critically analyse and evaluate conceptual and normative arguments in political theory, demonstrating confidence and competence in constructing and defending reasoned positions.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1.Identify and retrieve relevant academic sources using digital databases and online platforms
2. Communicate complex information, ideas, and solutions clearly and effectively in written and/or oral formats.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Practical | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seminar | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided for the summative assessment task, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to that task. As part of this, each student will receive feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative task.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | - | 70 |
| Coursework | - | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team