ABSTRACT
Many young people are concerned about human rights issues such as poverty and the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The expression of interest demonstrated in the protests by young people against the outbreak of war in Iraq in 2003 was evidence of this. Despite the cynic’s view that attending rallies was a means of skipping lessons (Bloom, 2003), the sincerity of many of the young people taking part in these rallies must be acknowledged. Young people should have the opportunity to discuss some of these issues within the curriculum, but for education policy makers and future teachers there are some fundamental questions about the relationship between education and human rights that need to be addressed. This chapter is designed to encourage you to use the insights of philosophy to assist you in addressing these questions. Philosophy invites you to clarify concepts by looking closely at the way in which words are being used. It also invites you to unearth your own assumptions and those of other people and to examine arguments and formulate new ones.
