Grounding Human Rights in a Pluralist World

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Grounding Human Rights in a Pluralist World by Grace Y. Kao, Georgetown University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Grace Y. Kao ISBN: 9781589017603
Publisher: Georgetown University Press Publication: March 16, 2011
Imprint: Georgetown University Press Language: English
Author: Grace Y. Kao
ISBN: 9781589017603
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Publication: March 16, 2011
Imprint: Georgetown University Press
Language: English

In 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which declared that every human being, without “distinction of any kind,” possesses a set of morally authoritative rights and fundamental freedoms that ought to be socially guaranteed. Since that time, human rights have arguably become the cross-cultural moral concept and evaluative tool to measure the performance—and even legitimacy—of domestic regimes. Yet questions remain that challenge their universal validity and theoretical bases.

Some theorists are ”maximalist” in their insistence that human rights must be grounded religiously, while an opposing camp attempts to justify these rights in “minimalist” fashion without any necessary recourse to religion, metaphysics, or essentialism. In Grounding Human Rights in a Pluralist World, Grace Kao critically examines the strengths and weaknesses of these contending interpretations while also exploring the political liberalism of John Rawls and the Capability Approach as proposed by economist Amartya Sen and philosopher Martha Nussbaum.

By retrieving insights from a variety of approaches, Kao defends an account of human rights that straddles the minimalist–maximalist divide, one that links human rights to a conception of our common humanity and to the notion that ethical realism gives the most satisfying account of our commitment to the equal moral worth of all human beings.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which declared that every human being, without “distinction of any kind,” possesses a set of morally authoritative rights and fundamental freedoms that ought to be socially guaranteed. Since that time, human rights have arguably become the cross-cultural moral concept and evaluative tool to measure the performance—and even legitimacy—of domestic regimes. Yet questions remain that challenge their universal validity and theoretical bases.

Some theorists are ”maximalist” in their insistence that human rights must be grounded religiously, while an opposing camp attempts to justify these rights in “minimalist” fashion without any necessary recourse to religion, metaphysics, or essentialism. In Grounding Human Rights in a Pluralist World, Grace Kao critically examines the strengths and weaknesses of these contending interpretations while also exploring the political liberalism of John Rawls and the Capability Approach as proposed by economist Amartya Sen and philosopher Martha Nussbaum.

By retrieving insights from a variety of approaches, Kao defends an account of human rights that straddles the minimalist–maximalist divide, one that links human rights to a conception of our common humanity and to the notion that ethical realism gives the most satisfying account of our commitment to the equal moral worth of all human beings.

More books from Georgetown University Press

Cover of the book Defining Death by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Salafism in Lebanon by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Federal Service and the Constitution by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book US Foreign Policy and Defense Strategy by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Radical Arab Nationalism and Political Islam by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Collaborative Public Management by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Hacking the Bomb by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book The Engagement of India by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Israel under Siege by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Arab Fall by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Medical Ethics in the Ancient World by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Power Up: Making the Shift to 1:1 Teaching and Learning by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Subject Pronoun Expression in Spanish by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book Pursuing Moral Warfare by Grace Y. Kao
Cover of the book A World of Grace by Grace Y. Kao
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy