The Idea of Human Rights

Author: Charles Beitz
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199604371
Published In: August 2011
Format: Paperback
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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An important and powerful new statement on a key topic
Written by one of the world's leading political philosophers
Elegantly and persuasively argued

The international doctrine of human rights is one of the most ambitious parts of the settlement of World War II. Since then, the language of human rights has become the common language of social criticism in global political life. This book is a theoretical examination of the central idea of that language, the idea of a human right. In contrast to more conventional philosophical studies, the author takes a practical approach, looking at the history and political practice of human rights for guidance in understanding the central idea. The author presents a model of human rights as matters of international concern, whose violation by governments can justify international protective and restorative action ranging from intervention to assistance. He proposes a schema for justifying human rights and applies it to several controversial cases-rights against poverty, rights to democracy, and the human rights of women. Throughout, the book attends to some main reasons why people are sceptical about human rights, including the fear that human rights will be used by strong powers to advance their national interests. The book concludes by observing that contemporary human rights practice is vulnerable to several pathologies and argues the need for international collaboration to avoid them.

Readership: Scholars and students of political philosophy, political theory, international relations, and international law.

Contents:: Preface; I. Introduction; II. The Practice; III. Naturalistic Theories; IV. Agreement Theories; V. A Fresh Start; VI. Normativity; VII. International Concern; VIII. Conclusion; Works cited; Index

Charles R. Beitz, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics, Princeton University

Charles Beitz has written books and articles in global political theory (Political Theory and International Relations, rev. ed. Princeton UP 1999) and democratic theory (Political Equality, Princeton UP 1989) and is co-editor, with Robert Goodin, of Global Basic Rights (OUP 2009). He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics at Princeton University.

Review(s) from previous edition

"The author is successful in his goal of proposing an alternative perspective on human rights which seeks to reconcile the disjuncture between theory and practice ... This is an innovative, well-argued and well-written text which makes a useful contribution to the political theory of human rights. - Political Studies Review