Biopolitics and Humans Rights

Code: ECN14342D

9 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/234 hours

Scientific Area: Legal-Political Theory and International Relations

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: B-learning

Presentation

The biopolitical approach aims to develop a critical perspective regarding the classic approach to the issue of human rights, investigating in parallel different theoretical strategies to think about the autonomy of subjects in contemporary times.

Sustainable Development Goals

Erradicação da pobreza - Acabar com a pobreza em todas as suas formas, em todos os lugares

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Igualdade de género - Alcançar a igualdade de gênero e empoderar todas as mulheres e meninas.

Trabalho decente e crescimento económico - Promover o crescimento económico sustentado, inclusivo e sustentável, emprego pleno e produtivo, e trabalho decente para todos.

Redução das desigualdades - Reduzir as desigualdades dentro dos países e entre eles.

Paz e Justiça - Paz, justiça e instituições eficazes promover sociedades pacíficas e inclusivas par ao desenvolvimento sustentável, proporcionar o acesso à justiça para todos e construir instituições eficazes, responsáveis
e inclusivas em todos os níveis.

Learning Goals

The biopolitical approach aims to develop a critical perspective regarding the classic approach to the issue of human rights, investigating several theoretical strategies to consider the autonomy of subjects in contemporary times. In this way, we aim to provide students conceptual tools to understand the deep complexity of the human rights issue and to succeeded in understanding the precarious character of fundamental freedoms and in analysing contemporary issues like new fundamentalisms, new populisms, the control power of technologies, the management of health crises.

This CU will be organized in three parts:
1. Analysis of the concept of biopolitics, starting from M. Foucault theory. The CU mainly focuses on the deconstructive theoretical approach, questioning the concepts of "person" and "individual" and the definition of bios.
2. Analysis of the link between biopolitics and human rights. Starting from the concept of naked life (Agamben), we will analyze the link between biopolitical theory and two traditional criticism of human rights: that of C. Schmitt and H. Arendt.
B. 3. Presentation of different concepts to reflect upon the subjective rights, based on a different understanding of what's a "subject": singularity (Deleuze), transindividuality (Simondon, Balibar), impersonality (Esposito), trans-humanity (Hottois), Multitude ( Negri).

Teaching Methods

The UC provides for the coexistence of two learning methodologies. On the one hand, traditional teaching aims to provide to the students essential theoretical tools. On the other hand, active participation techniques will be implemented, either individually or through group works. In this way, it aims to improve students' methodological and research skills; guaranteeing a permanent control over the learning process while self-assessment will be encouraged. In order to reach the goal of participation, sections of shared reading and debate will be planned. For evaluation, students will write a text on a book proposed by the teacher (50%) and they will write an academic article on a topic of their choice (50%).

Teaching Staff

Irene Viparelli [responsible]

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