What is a Human Right?

This course is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders On-Campus program for high school students ages 15–18.

The concept of a human right is the result of a philosophical revolution that began at the University of Bologna in the 1100s, was reworked in the 1600s and 1700s, and then reworked again in connection with the drafting of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in the late 1940s. In this course we survey this historical development, and look at modern approaches to the concept of human rights. Special focus is put on the question of what sort of arguments have been made for and against human rights in modern philosophical discussions.

This course appeals to students interested in philosophy, politics, history and current events.

Dr. ANDERS KRAAL, PhD, is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at UBC. He has published papers in various areas of philosophy, including logic, philosophy of religion, and the history of philosophy. He is also the author of the recent monograph, The Problem of God in David Hume (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

Course Format

This course is held on the UBC Vancouver campus. You attend class in-person 9am–12pm, Monday through Friday. After lunch, you attend university preparation workshops and participate in group activities on campus from 1:30–3pm. 

You can also join the Virtual Student Lounge, hosted by our UBC Student Ambassadors. Meet other Future Global Leaders from across Canada and around the world.

To Register

After you add the course to your cart, you’re asked to complete your registration by creating a new account or logging in. If you are a parent, guardian or other adult registering for the first time on behalf of your student, please create the account in the name of the high school student attending UBC Future Global Leaders, not in your name.

To register, click “Open all” under Available Sessions, select the applicable Type under Fees / Tuition. You can pay a CAD$500 now or pay in full. Select “Scheduled Payment” if you wish to pay a CAD$500 deposit now and the balance later. We will automatically process the balance owing 30 days before the course start date for the Residence option and seven days before the course start date for the Commuter option. Do not select Scheduled Payment if you wish to pay in full now.

Click ADD TO CART. Once you have successfully added the items to your shopcart, click COMPLETE REGISTRATION to be directed to our online payment portal.

Available Sessions

Course currently not available for registration.