POLSC402: Global Justice

1.4: Justice and Human Rights

• University of Oxford, Centre for the Study of Social Justice: David Miller's "The Responsibility to Protect Human Rights" URL

  Read this article. Miller tackles the problems inherent in enforcing human rights in a state system grounded in sovereignty. After narrowly defining human rights for the purposes of this discussion as basic human needs, Miller explores the responsibility to protect the concept of human rights in the context of specific humanitarian 'disaster' situations (both natural and human-induced). In doing so, Miller provides a clear analysis of the intrinsic link between protecting and promoting human rights in such situations and the pursuit of global justice.

• Temple University: Carol C. Gould's "Approaching Global Justice through Human Rights: Elements of Theory and Practice" URL

  Read this article. Here, from a more philosophical standpoint, Gould examines the relationships between human rights and global justice. Specifically, she "... argue[s] for a strongly egalitarian principle of justice, namely, ... equal positive freedom (or EPF)." Further, Gould argues that such an approach provides guidance for resolving practical problems associated with distributive justice on a global scale.