Congratulations, everyone, on all your hard work this quarter. I know I assign a lot of work and a lot of reading, and I appreciate your efforts, insights, and enthusiasm a great deal. I learned quite a bit myself through teaching this class, and I have many of you to thank for it.
Best of luck to you all, and I hope to see some of you around this summer (I'll be teaching B-term), and maybe beyond.
posted by David Watkins @ 7:18 AM
3 comments
Each essay 3-4 pages typed, double spaced. Choose two. Due Wednesday, June 8th, 5:00 PM.
FINAL EXAM—TAKE HOME VERSION.
1. Is the “minimalism” promoted by Ignatieff consistent with Shue’s approach to basic rights? Is there tension between the two positions? In your essay, be sure to explain how these positions might appear to be in tension with each other, and how they might fit together (while making clear which interpretation you find to be correct).
2. What problems does the “cross-cultural” approach to human rights solve? What problems does it create? Which are more significant? What alternatives are there to the cross-cultural approach?
3. What is the biggest problem in constructing a theoretical justification for the idea of human rights? Be as precise as possible, and try to show how this problem plagues at least two theories from this course.
posted by David Watkins @ 6:26 PM
2 comments
For many of our major authors, nationalism and national self-determination have been portrayed as at odds with human rights. Do Ishay and Goldfischer successfully shed doubt on this presumption? Analyze their contribution and compare their arguments to a nationalism-skeptic from earlier in the term.
Due Monday, J. 6.
posted by David Watkins @ 4:45 AM
5 comments
I'll post a final paper topic, for the readings for next Wednesday, shortly. That paper, should you choose/need to do it, will be due Monday June 6. You can email it or bring it to the inclass exam.
As for the paper due on Monday, as I said in class this week, it'll be due Tuesday at noon. If you'd rather enjoy your three day weekend rather than working on a paper, you now have official license to procrastinate until Monday night/Tuesday morning if you wish.
(Yes, the time stamp for this post is correct. I'm still working at 9:30 on Friday. My weekend won't start for another several hours. Remember this when you contemplate graduate school)
posted by David Watkins @ 9:28 PM
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I now have responded to (according to my records) every electronically submitted paper. I've got about 12 dead-tree papers that need to be returned. If you submitted a paper via email and you haven't heard back, send me a quick note with a) the date you originally sent it, and b) another copy of the paper as attachment.
With all that aside, here are some sample questions for the final exam. Remember--the inclass final will have 3 questions very similar to some of these. You will choose two to write about.
1) Does the distinction between "negative" and "positive" rights have any signifigance for human rights? Consider carefully the arguments of one theorist who thinks it does and one theorist who thinks it doesn't while constructing your answer.
2) What is the "cross-cultural" approach to human rights? Does it constitute an effective "middle path" between universalism and cultural relativism? Consider at least one argument that it does succeed on those terms, and one argument that it doesn't.
3) Now that we've had a whole quarter to look at the ideas and theories surrounding human rights, let's return to our three critical perspectives on rights--Burke/Bentham/Marx. Which of these three offers the most compelling critique of the idea of human rights? Give the strongest version of the critique you can. Does it succeed?
4) Why, according to Shue, must duties be part of any theory of rights? Would Ignatieff agree with Shue? Why or why not? Which one has the more compelling approach to this issue?
(note--if this question comes up, I'll expect a fairly precise answer to the first part of the question)
5) What is the biggest problem in constructing a theoretical justification for the idea of human rights? Be as precise as possible, and try to show how this problem plagues at least two theories from this course.
6) What is the most compelling justification for at theory of human rights you've seen? Again, be as precise as possible, giving concrete reasons why this is stronger than other approaches.
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There you go. Remember, the take-home version of the midterm will be distributed, via blog and paper, on the evening of June 1st. I hope you can all make it to the last class. I've really enjoyed our time together this quarter, and I appreciate all your feedback, effort, ideas, and hard work.
posted by David Watkins @ 8:01 PM
0 comments
Hmmm. I don't have any particular topic I feel compelled to ask you to write about.
How about this:
Identify and describe one specific criticism of the version of human rights articulated by Michael Ignatieff. Assess this criticism, and offer a response from Ignatieff's perspective.
Does the criticism succeed? Why (not)?
posted by David Watkins @ 6:06 PM
4 comments
Update: Due to popular demand, I will create a take-home option. This option will be given on the last day of class (and posted that day as well). The suggested study questions may be used, although there may be parts to the exam that don't use them at all. There will be 2-3 questions and you should expect to write about seven pages (double-spaced, normal fonts and margins) for the take-home. For reasons that should be obvious, the take-home exams will be held to a higher standard, especially with regard to organization, quality of writing, spelling, grammar, etc. Than the inclass exam. If the past is any guide to the future, the take-home and inclass grades will be similar. Of course, the past isn't always a guide to the future....
Here is my plan for the final.
About 10 days before the final is to take place, I'll distribute a list of 5-6 essay questions on the blog. On the final, you'll be asked to write responses to 2/3 essays. THese essays will be similar to the ones on the list (and it's possible one or more might be identical). In all likelihood, there will be some small difference between these questions and the one you'll prepare for.
Any comments? Suggestions? Let me know soon. This plan will be finalized by the end of the week.
posted by David Watkins @ 6:02 PM
22 comments
The documentary based on Romeo Dallaire's memoir on his experience as an often helpless UN Peacekeeping General during the Rwandan genocide is playing at SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) this year, on May 23rd at 7:00 PM (they shouldn't schedule important human rights films at the same time as important human rights classes!) and Wednesday, May 25th at 2:00 PM. I doubt many of you can make these times, but I do expect a theatrical release at some point this summer.
Links of interest:
SIFF Link.
More on the film.
A recent speech by Dallaire.
posted by David Watkins @ 9:12 PM
2 comments
