The Meanings of Rights
The Philosophy and Social Theory of Human Rights

Leading intellectuals examine the theory of rights from philosophical, theological, historical, literary and political perspectives.

Costas Douzinas (Edited by), Conor Gearty (Edited by)

9781107679597, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 May 2014

368 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

'In this wide-ranging, thoughtful collection, distinguished scholars across several disciplines shed new light on the familiar topic of human rights by exploring the ambiguities and tensions that structure their social meanings and political implications. The book makes a distinctive and valuable contribution to the field; it should be widely read.' Nicola Lacey, FBA, School Professor of Law, Gender and Social Policy, London School of Economics

Does the apparent victory, universality and ubiquity of the idea of rights indicate that such rights have transcended all conflicts of interests and moved beyond the presumption that it is the clash of ideas that drives culture? Or has the rhetorical triumph of rights not been replicated in reality? The contributors to this book answer these questions in the context of an increasing wealth gap between the metropolitan elites and the rest, a chasm in income and chances between the rich and the poor, and walls which divide the comfortable middle classes from the 'underclass'. Why do these inequalities persist in our supposed human rights-abiding societies? In seeking to address the foundations, genealogies, meaning and impact of rights, this book captures some of the energy, breadth, power and paradoxes that make deployment of the language of human rights such an essential but changeable part of so many of our contemporary discourses.

Introduction Conor Gearty and Costas Douzinas
Part I. Finding Foundations: 1. On human rights: two simple remarks Jean-Luc Nancy (translated by Gilbert Leung)
2. Human rights: the necessary quest for foundations Conor Gearty
3. Against human rights: liberty in the western tradition John Milbank
4. Religious faith and human rights Rowan Williams
Part II. Law, Rights and Revolution: 5. Philosophy and the right to resistance Costas Douzinas
6. On a radical politics for human rights Illan Rua Wall
7. Fanon today Drucilla Cornell
8. Race and the value of the human Paul Gilroy
Part III. Rights, Justice, Politics: 9. From 'human rights' to 'life rights' Walter D. Mignolo
10. Democracy, human rights and cosmopolitanism: an agonistic approach Chantal Mouffe
11. Plural cosmopolitanisms and the origins of human rights Samuel Moyn
Part IV. Rights and Power: 12. Second-generation rights as biopolitical rights Pheng Cheah
13. History, normativity, and rights Paul Patton
14. 'All of us without exception': Sartre, Rancière, and the cause of the Other Bruce Robbins
15. However incompletely, human Joseph R. Slaughter
16. Welcome to the 'spiritual kingdom of animals' Slavoj Žižek.

Subject Areas: Human rights [JPVH], Political science & theory [JPA], Social theory [JHBA], Social & political philosophy [HPS]