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The goal of the course is to introduce students to the following topics: current definitions of human rights, controversy over different generations of human rights, history of human rights from ancient Greece up to contemporary philosophical and political science definitions, differences between natural and human rights, disputes with moral relativism, moral vs. legal rights, claim rights and liberty rights, scope and justification of human rights, HR as the dominant geopolitical doctrine of modern times, HR in international law and HR within the UN. Special attention will be paid to theories of international relations and the place of the HR agenda in them. Students will be encouraged to discuss current HR issues and illustrate the theories with political events. The creation of this course was funded by the Operational Programme Prague - Adaptability, cofinanced by the European Social Fund.
Last update: Muhič Dizdarevič Selma, Mgr., Ph.D. (27.08.2025)
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Course requirements and materials Course materials In the SIS, you can find recordings of lectures from the COVID-19 period. These recordings are not the same as the current in-person lectures. They are provided only as an additional learning resource. You can also find the course syllabus in the SIS. In Moodle, you will find the syllabus and the lecture PowerPoint presentations. Assessment requirements To complete the course, you must meet all three requirements:
Submit your presentation or paper to Moodle by 7 November. The presentation schedule will be sent on 8 November, and presentations will begin on 9 November. You may exchange your scheduled presentation date with another student if you both agree. However, all presentations must be completed by 7 December. Individual presentations should last approximately 10 minutes. If (at most) two students from the same country work together, the presentation should be approximately 20 minutes. Please adjust the number of slides or the length of your paper accordingly. You must be present for your own presentation. Without presenting your work in class, you cannot take the final test. 3. Attend the international workshop on 23 November, held during the regular lecture hours. The workshop will focus on the housing crisis and young people in the capitals of the Visegrad Four countries. Optional international lecture Attendance at the international lecture by Prof. Oscar Luise Figueroa-Rodríguez from Colegio de Postgraduados (Colpos) in Mexico on data ownership in indigenous communities is optional. The lecture will take place in the late afternoon during the week of 14–18 December. The exact date will be confirmed in October. Students who attend will be able to choose one question (out of five) from the final test, which will automatically receive full points. Attendance and communication Attendance at regular lectures is not mandatory. However, students who do not attend are responsible for finding out the information shared during classes. You can obtain this information by:
Please do not request this information by individual email. Email is not a substitute for attending class or office hours. Use of AI You may use AI tools for planning, developing ideas, and conducting research. However, your final presentation or paper must show that you understand and have developed the ideas yourself. During your presentation or in your paper, you must be able to explain the concepts and arguments you use. If you cannot explain the concepts or ideas in your work, the task will be considered incomplete, and you will be asked to revise and resubmit it. Required reading Donnelly, J. (2003). Universal human rights (2nd ed.). Cornell University Press. European Network Against Racism. (2022). 2016–2021 ENAR shadow report on racial discrimination in Europe. https://www.enar-eu.org/2016-2021-enar-shadow-report-on-racial-discrimination-in-europe/ Muhič Dizdarevič, S. (2026). Emotions, racialization, and belonging: Roma lived experience and the case for emotionally reflexive policy in the Czech Republic. Social Policy Issues, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.31971/pps/224965
Last update: Muhič Dizdarevič Selma, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
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Conditions for course completion: Assessment requirements To complete the course, you must meet all three requirements:
Submit your presentation or paper to Moodle by 7 November. The presentation schedule will be sent on 8 November, and presentations will begin on 9 November. You may exchange your scheduled presentation date with another student if you both agree. However, all presentations must be completed by 7 December. Individual presentations should last approximately 10 minutes. If (at most) two students from the same country work together, the presentation should be approximately 20 minutes. Please adjust the number of slides or the length of your paper accordingly. You must be present for your own presentation. Without presenting your work in class, you cannot take the final test. 3. Attend the international workshop on 23 November, held during the regular lecture hours. The workshop will focus on the housing crisis and young people in the capitals of the Visegrad Four countries. Optional international lecture Attendance at the international lecture by Prof. Oscar Luise Figueroa-Rodríguez from Colegio de Postgraduados (Colpos) in Mexico on data ownership in indigenous communities is optional. The lecture will take place in the late afternoon during the week of 14–18 December. The exact date will be confirmed in October. Students who attend will be able to choose one question (out of five) from the final test, which will automatically receive full points. Attendance and communication Attendance at regular lectures is not mandatory. However, students who do not attend are responsible for finding out the information shared during classes. You can obtain this information by:
Please do not request this information by individual email. Email is not a substitute for attending class or office hours. Use of AI You may use AI tools for planning, developing ideas, and conducting research. However, your final presentation or paper must show that you understand and have developed the ideas yourself. During your presentation or in your paper, you must be able to explain the concepts and arguments you use. If you cannot explain the concepts or ideas in your work, the task will be considered incomplete, and you will be asked to revise and resubmit it. Required reading Donnelly, J. (2003). Universal human rights (2nd ed.). Cornell University Press. European Network Against Racism. (2022). 2016–2021 ENAR shadow report on racial discrimination in Europe. https://www.enar-eu.org/2016-2021-enar-shadow-report-on-racial-discrimination-in-europe/ Muhič Dizdarevič, S. (2026). Emotions, racialization, and belonging: Roma lived experience and the case for emotionally reflexive policy in the Czech Republic. Social Policy Issues, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.31971/pps/224965 Last update: Muhič Dizdarevič Selma, Mgr., Ph.D. (31.08.2026)
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1. Introduction in the course. History of the concept of human rights. 2. Human rights and natural rights. 3. Moral vs. legal rights. Legal positivism. Moral relativism and human rights. 4. Generations of human rights. 5. Human rights in non-European traditions. 6. Human rights implementation and post-colonial critique. 7. Human rights in the United Nations. Declaration of human rights. 8. Human rights in international law. 9. Human rights legislation in regional and continental context. 10. The concept of citizenship and human rights. 11. Human rights treaties by issues: race, gender, age. 12. Role of non-governmental organization in promotion of human rights. 13. Concluding remarks and preparation for test. Requirement for the course is taking a written test and 80% attendence. Required reading: Donnelly, Jack. 2003. Universal Human Rights. New York: Cornell University Press. Available from the e-library in Moodle. Etzioni, Amitai. The Normativity of Human Rights is Sel-Evident. In Human Rights Quarterly. Available at: http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/documents/The%20Normativity%20of%20Human%20Rights%20Is%20Self%20Evident.pdf Valeš, František, Muhič Dizdarevič, Selma 2011. Racism and Related Discriminatory Pracitces in the Czech Republic. Available at: https://www.enar-eu.org/IMG/pdf/5._czech_rep.pdf Last update: Muhič Dizdarevič Selma, Mgr., Ph.D. (27.08.2025)
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