Description
Product ID: | 9781108402828 |
Product Form: | Paperback / softback |
Country of Manufacture: | GB |
Series: | Law in Context |
Title: | A Philosophical Introduction to Human Rights |
Authors: | Author: Thomas Mertens |
Page Count: | 310 |
Subjects: | Social and political philosophy, Social & political philosophy, Human rights, civil rights, Methods, theory and philosophy of law, Legal history, Public international law: human rights, Law: Human rights and civil liberties, Human rights, Jurisprudence & philosophy of law, Legal history, International human rights law, Human rights & civil liberties law |
Description: | Select Guide Rating Everybody has heard of human rights. But what are human rights, where do they originate and what do they mean? This book answers these questions, offering a multifaceted introduction to legal philosophy. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides the frame for engaging with western legal philosophy across the ages. While almost everyone has heard of human rights, few will have reflected in depth on what human rights are, where they originate from and what they mean. A Philosophical Introduction to Human Rights – accessibly written without being superficial – addresses these questions and provides a multifaceted introduction to legal philosophy. The point of departure is the famous 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides a frame for engagement with western legal philosophy. Thomas Mertens sketches the philosophical and historical background of the Declaration, discusses the ten most important human rights with the help of key philosophers, and ends by reflecting on the relationship between rights and duties. The basso continuo of the book is a particular world view derived from Immanuel Kant. ''Unsocial sociability'' is what characterises humans, i.e. the tension between man''s individual and social nature. Some human rights emphasize the first, others the second aspect. The tension between these two aspects plays a fundamental role in how human rights are interpreted and applied. |
Imprint Name: | Cambridge University Press |
Publisher Name: | Cambridge University Press |
Country of Publication: | GB |
Publishing Date: | 2020-09-24 |