The philosophy of human rights [[electronic resource] ] : contemporary controversies / / edited by Gerhard Ernst and Jan-Christoph Heilinger

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910168749203321
• Autore: Ernst Gerhard
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Berlin ; ; Boston, : De Gruyter, c2012
• ISBN: 1-283-40288-2; 9786613402882; 3-11-026388-2
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (272 p.)
• Classificazione: MD 4700
• Altri autori (Persone): ErnstGerhard <1971->; HeilingerJan-Christoph
• Disciplina: 323.01
• Soggetti: Human rights - Philosophy
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- I. Human Rights: Moral or Political? -- Human rights: questions of aim and approach / Griffin, James -- On the nature of human rights / Tasioulas, John -- Human rights without foundations? / Schaber, Peter -- The political and moral conceptions of human rights - a mixed account / Mayr, Erasmus -- II. Rights and Duties -- Problems with some consequentialist arguments for basic rights / Freeman, Samuel -- Human rights as rights / Cruft, Rowan -- On human rights and the strength of corresponding duties / Mieth, Corinna -- The moral demandingness of socioeconomic human rights / Heilinger, Jan-Christoph -- III. Universality -- Common humanity as a justification for human rights claims / Hope, Simon -- Universal human rights and moral diversity / Ernst, Gerhard -- List of contributors -- Name index -- Subject index
• Sommario/riassunto: The notion of "human rights" is widely used in political and moral discussions. The core idea, that all human beings have some inalienable basic rights, is appealing and has an eminently practical function: It allows moral criticism of various wrongs and calls for action in order to prevent them. On the other hand it is unclear what exactly a human right is. Human rights lack a convincing conceptual foundation that would be able to compel the wrong-doer to accept human rights ; claims as well-founded. Hence the practical function faces theoretical doubts. The present collection takes up the tension between the wide political use of human rights claims and the intellectual skepticism about them. In particular two major issues are identified that call for conceptual clarification in order to better understand human rights claims both in theory and in practice: the question of how to justify human rights and the tension between universal normative claims and particular moralities.