The Literary Canon of Human Rights (2026/2027: Semester 2 – Spring)

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Cursusdoel

After completing this course students...
  1. have acquired a general understanding of some key problems and dilemmas of law, justice and human rights
  2. have become familiar with some ‘great books’ that are of central importance to European cultural heritage
  3. have become trained in the close analysis of selected literary texts and other cultural media (both in- and outside the traditional canon)
  4. are able to connect these texts and other cultural media to current problems and dilemmas of law, justice and human rights
  5. have developed their own ideas about law and a work of art of their own choosing.
  6. have further developed their academic writing and presentation skills
Relationship between assessment and learning goals:
assessment relates to learning goal
class assignments
midterm video presentation: TEDtalk
endterm paper

Vakinhoudelijk

This course offers a law-and-humanities approach to core topics of law, justice and human rights. It relates the narratives as they are presented in some ‘great books’ – some of them written quite some time ago – to some of contemporary society’s most pressing problems. Additionally, we will also consider what (contemporary) voices outside of the traditional canon have to say about our topic - both in written form or via other cultural media.

How could law contribute to the restoration of society after large-scale violations of human rights by a criminal regime? In what circumstances could it be permitted and perhaps even required to disobey the commands of a ruler? Can terrorism be fought within the boundaries of the rule of law? How should law deal with the need for general application of legal rules on the one hand and the call for exceptions to those rules in specific cases on the other? The course aims to show that reflection on such themes can benefit enormously from the analysis of literature.

Specific emphasis will be given to Greek tragedy as a deeply political genre with surprising significance for a great variety of current problems of law and justice. The course will also pay attention to the rich reception history and the enduring relevance of the works of Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Kafka and many others. Additionally, students are encouraged to develop their ideas about the relation between law and a work of art of their own choosing.



Format There will be two seminar-style classes per week, and students will be expected to do all assigned reading in advance of each session. Because the course will be dynamic and discussion-based, there will be a particular focus on partner/small-group work and interactive discussion. Students will also be responsible for giving presentations and leading discussions on the literature for an assigned session as well as bringing to class specific questions related to the material. The required literature for the first half of the course will be made known before the start. There will be a number of primary texts to be delved into in depth.

Werkvormen

UCU hum 2 course

Toetsing

class assignments

Verplicht | Weging 30% | ECTS 2,25

final paper

Verplicht | Weging 40% | ECTS 3

midterm video presentation: TEDtalk

Verplicht | Weging 30% | ECTS 2,25

*midterm FEEDBACK*

Niet verplicht

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

Voorkennis

Er is geen informatie over benodigde voorkennis bekend.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

  • BOEK
    Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818) (Norton Critical Edition 2012);
  • BOEK
    Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a Slave (1853) (Norton Critical Edition 2016)
  • BOEK
    Art Spiegelman, Maus (1980) (Complete Maus, Penguin 2013)
  • BOEK
    Madeleine Thien, Dogs at the Perimeter (2011) (Granta Books 2013)
  • BOEK
    Edouard Louis, Who Killed my Father, transl. Lorin Stein (Vintage Publishing 2018)
  • BOEK
    Anton de Kom, We Slaves of Suriname (Polity Press 2022 [1934]); in case you own a Dutch copy, you don’t have to buy the English version
  • BOEK
    Ta-Nehesi Coates, Between the World and Me (Spiegel & Grau 2015)
  • BOEK
    Cherie Dimaline, The Marrow Thieves (Cormorant Books Inc. 2017
  • BOEK
    Alison Bechdel, Fun Home (Vintage Publishing 2006).

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Coördinator

dr. S.P. van Bommel S.P.vanBommel@uu.nl

Docenten

mr. dr. L. van den Berge L.vandenBerge@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

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