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St. Norbert Distinguished Lecture Series Begins at DCA

Universal Human Rights is the first topic of the St. Norbert Distinguished Lecture Series on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 9 am at the Door Community Auditorium (DCA). The lecture is free and open to the public.

Human rights refer to the basic moral claims and freedoms to which all humans are entitled because of their fundamental human dignity. Dr. David A. Duquette will discuss the basis of these rights in his presentation, “Universal Human Rights: What Makes them Universal?”

Dr. Duquette classifies the types and freedoms that are often thought of as human rights as civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food and nutrition, the right to work, and the right to education.

During his presentation, he will discuss the foundation of universal human rights, whether or not these rights change over time, how to determine an adequate list of rights, how to prioritize rights, whether human rights can ever be forfeited, and the relationship between human rights and civil law. Adequate time will be available for questions from the audience.

Dr. Duquette, professor of philosophy at St. Norbert College, serves as Associate Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, a post he has held since August of 2008. He joined St. Norbert in 1985, shortly after receiving his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Kansas.

He is the editor of Hegel’s History of Philosophy: New Interpretations, and has authored numerous articles and essays. He is the recipient of the Donald B. King Distinguished Scholar Award in the spring of 2007.

For more information call 920.868.2728 or visit http://www.dcauditorium.org.