https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/LEGS5389?type=COREAt the very heart of the idea of human rights stands the question of what it means to be 'human'. Rights are often presented as natural and universal, inhering to our very essence as human beings. This universalizing and objectifying tendency of rights is fundamentally disrupted by the advent of identity in legal discourse, with its emphasis on what is particular about individuals and groups. Humans everywhere inherit languages, cultures and norms that mark their social existence. Human identities thus remain historically given and socially constructed, while simultaneously being transformed by multiple, fluid, complex, and contradictory practices of identification.This course critically examines the tensions between human rights and identity. Does human rights discourse essentialize the identity of a 'universal' bearer of human rights? Does it obscure the fact that identities may themselves be vehicles of power, all too often inscribed or imposed? Does the legal recognition of identity categories reinforce social hierarchies, or does it serve as a tool for empowerment? How do courts navigate these dilemmas, and to what effect?The course is divided into three parts. First, we introduce the concept of identity and its relationship to related concepts such as the self, subject, person, individual, and personality. The second part engages with key theories of identity, exploring the role of identity recognition in modernity, its entanglement with (human) rights, and critiques of identity politics. The third part examines legal issues related to identity through core legal texts and case studies. We will analyze how courts address identity-related claims in areas such as gender, race/ethnicity, religion, and national identity, debating the successes and limitations of legal recognition.