Events

The Torkel Opsahl memorial lecture 2009

A close reading of the academic literature reveals that we do not all conceive of human rights in the same way.

Published: January 15, 2009 Author: Christian Boe Astrup

When: Thursday, 19. March 2009 15:15 – 17:30
To: Thursday, 19. March 2009
Where: Oslo, Festsal, Urbygningen, University of Oslo, Karl Johans gt.
Host: Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
Contact: Christian Boe Astrup (c.b.astrup@nchr.uio.no / + 47 22 84 20 52)
More info: www.humanrights.uio.no/arrangementer/2009/to-09.html

This contribution proposes that ‘natural scholars’ conceive of human rights as given; ‘deliberative scholars’ as agreed; ‘protest scholars’ as fought for; and ‘discourse scholars’ as talked about. The position of each school in regard to the origin, universality, possible realization, and legal embodiment of human rights is reviewed, as well as their faith, or lack of, in human rights. Marie-Bénédicte Dembour is Professor of Law and Anthropology at the University of Sussex.

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