"A definitive account of the history of human rights told from the perspective of those struggling to obtain them. Using the Enlightenment, industrialization, war, national self-determination, and globalization as lenses through which to look at their evolution, Ishay brings both historical context and conceptual acuity to modern debates about the role of human rights in a multicultural world. Her encompassing and compassionate approach issues in a book equally valuable to scholars, students, and citizens."--Benjamin Barber, University of Maryland, author of Jihad vs. McWorld
"This well-written book, chock-full of knowledge, presents a history of the idea, or ideas, of human rights through the prism of the author's thoughtful views on key controversies that bedevil human rights discourse to this day."--Professor Sir Nigel Rodley, Chair, University of Essex Human Rights Centre; Member, (UN) Human Rights Committee
"The first account of human rights as embedded in the history of political theory, relating it to the basic issues of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Erudite and non-dogmatic, IshayÊreaches beyond individual human rights to issues of economic, cultural and national rights, and shows how the campaign for human rights was instrumental in bringing down oppressive regimes in the last decades... Humane and generous inÊits approach, brilliant in its conception and presentation."--Shlomo Avineri, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Description
Micheline Ishay recounts the dramatic struggle for human rights across the ages in a book that brilliantly synthesizes historical and intellectual developments from the Mesopotamian Codes of Hammurabi to today's era of globalization. As she chronicles the clash of social movements, ideas, and armies that have played a part in this struggle, Ishay illustrates how the history of human rights has evolved from one era to the next through texts, cultural traditions, and creative expression. Writing with verve and extraordinary range, she develops a framework for understanding contemporary issues from the debate over globalization to the intervention in Kosovo to the climate for human rights after September 11, 2001. The only comprehensive history of human rights available, the book will be essential reading for anyone concerned with humankind's quest for justice and dignity.
Ishay structures her chapters around six core questions that have shaped human rights debate and scholarship: What are the origins of human rights? Why did the European vision of human rights triumph over those of other civilizations? Has socialism made a lasting contribution to the legacy of human rights? Are human rights universal or culturally bound? Must human rights be sacrificed to the demands of national security? Is globalization eroding or advancing human rights? As she explores these questions, Ishay also incorporates notable documents--writings, speeches, and political statements--from activists, writers, and thinkers throughout history.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Definition, the Argument, and Six Historical Controversies
Structure
Chapter 1. Early Ethical Contributions to Human Rights
Chapter 2. Human Rights and the Enlightenment: The Development of a Liberal and Secular Perspective of Human Rights
Chapter 3. Human Rights and the Industrial Age: The Development of a Socialist Perspective of Human Rights
Chapter 4. The World Wars: The Institutionalization of International Rights and the Right to Self-Determination
Chapter 5. Globalization and Its Impact on Human Right
Chapter 6. Promoting Human Rights in the Twenty-first Century: The Changing Arena of Struggle
Appendix: A Chronology of Events and Writings Related to Human Rights
Notes
References
Index
"This well-written book, chock-full of knowledge, presents a history of the idea, or ideas, of human rights through the prism of the author's thoughtful views on key controversies that bedevil human rights discourse to this day."--Professor Sir Nigel Rodley, Chair, University of Essex Human Rights Centre; Member, (UN) Human Rights Committee
"The first account of human rights as embedded in the history of political theory, relating it to the basic issues of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Erudite and non-dogmatic, IshayÊreaches beyond individual human rights to issues of economic, cultural and national rights, and shows how the campaign for human rights was instrumental in bringing down oppressive regimes in the last decades... Humane and generous inÊits approach, brilliant in its conception and presentation."--Shlomo Avineri, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Description
Micheline Ishay recounts the dramatic struggle for human rights across the ages in a book that brilliantly synthesizes historical and intellectual developments from the Mesopotamian Codes of Hammurabi to today's era of globalization. As she chronicles the clash of social movements, ideas, and armies that have played a part in this struggle, Ishay illustrates how the history of human rights has evolved from one era to the next through texts, cultural traditions, and creative expression. Writing with verve and extraordinary range, she develops a framework for understanding contemporary issues from the debate over globalization to the intervention in Kosovo to the climate for human rights after September 11, 2001. The only comprehensive history of human rights available, the book will be essential reading for anyone concerned with humankind's quest for justice and dignity.
Ishay structures her chapters around six core questions that have shaped human rights debate and scholarship: What are the origins of human rights? Why did the European vision of human rights triumph over those of other civilizations? Has socialism made a lasting contribution to the legacy of human rights? Are human rights universal or culturally bound? Must human rights be sacrificed to the demands of national security? Is globalization eroding or advancing human rights? As she explores these questions, Ishay also incorporates notable documents--writings, speeches, and political statements--from activists, writers, and thinkers throughout history.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Definition, the Argument, and Six Historical Controversies
Structure
Chapter 1. Early Ethical Contributions to Human Rights
Chapter 2. Human Rights and the Enlightenment: The Development of a Liberal and Secular Perspective of Human Rights
Chapter 3. Human Rights and the Industrial Age: The Development of a Socialist Perspective of Human Rights
Chapter 4. The World Wars: The Institutionalization of International Rights and the Right to Self-Determination
Chapter 5. Globalization and Its Impact on Human Right
Chapter 6. Promoting Human Rights in the Twenty-first Century: The Changing Arena of Struggle
Appendix: A Chronology of Events and Writings Related to Human Rights
Notes
References
Index