Are Human Rights Western?: A Contribution to the Dialogue of Civilizations"Human rights as an issue occupies centre stage in contemporary public debate. Part of the debate on human rights is about the origins and significance of the notion itself. This book examines the proposition, often taken for granted, that the concept of human rights is Western." "It points out that the wisdom of drafting a statement of rights for the entire world on the basis of values of the societies of Western Europe and America, was questioned even at the time of framing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In the decades since it came into being, the Declaration has come under increased criticism at various times from states in Asia and Africa. The charge has been repeatedly made by policy-makers and scholars that prevailing ideas of human rights are of Western origin and not necessarily of relevance to societies in the rest of the world." "This book will be of interest to scholars and students of human rights, international law and organizations, as well as activists and NGOs, in addition to an informed lay audience."--BOOK JACKET. |
Contents
The Historical Argument | 3 |
The Moral Argument | 25 |
The Cultural Argument | 36 |
Copyright | |
27 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
16 Ibid A.L. Basham Alison Dundes Renteln argued argument Asia Asian basic Bhikhu Parekh Buddhism capitalism century Chinese Christian Cited civil claim that human colonial concept of human Confucian considered Western constitute context cultural relativism Declaration of Human democracy doctrine duties economic egalitarianism equality ethical ethical relativism Europe European fact Future of Human global Gregory Baum Hindu Hinduism historical human rights discourse idea India individual involved Islamic issue justice Kishore Madhubani liberty Madhubani Mary Ann Glendon means Michael Ignatieff modern moral moral universals nations natural law natural rights negative rights non-Western norms origin Patrick Burke perspective philosophical political position principle question relation religion religious freedom rights are Western Rights Revolution rights talk Robert Traer secular sense shari'ah social Swidler theory thinkers tradition Traer UDHR Universal Declaration University Press Upendra Baxi values West Westernness of human York