An Introduction to Rights
An Introduction to Rights
An Introduction to Rights is a readable and accessible introduction to the history, logic, moral implications and political tendencies of the idea of rights. It is organized chronologically and discusses important historical events such as the French and American Revolutions. It treats a range of historical figures, including Grotius, Paley, Hobbes, Locke, Bentham, Burke, Godwin, Douglass, Mill and Hohfeld and relates the concept of rights to contemporary debates such as consequentialism versus contractualism. This thoroughly updated second edition includes a new preface and expands the discussion of the surprising role that slavery has played in the history of rights. It includes new material on egalitarianism, distributive justice and what the demand for equal rights means.
- Thoroughly revised second edition including a new preface
- Includes new material on egalitarianism, distributive justice and what the demand for equal rights means
- Expands the discussion of the surprising role that slavery has played in the history of rights
Product details
March 2012Adobe eBook Reader
9781139227735
0 pages
0kg
2 tables
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Part I. The First Expansionary Era:
- 1. The prehistory of rights
- 2. The rights of man: the enlightenment
- 3. Mischievous nonsense?
- 4. The nineteenth century: consolidation and retrenchment
- 5. The conceptual neighborhood of rights: Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld
- Part II. The Second Expansionary Era:
- 6. The universal declaration, and a revolt against utilitarianism
- 7. The nature of rights: 'choice' theory and 'interest' theory
- 8. A right to do wrong? Two conceptions of moral rights
- 9. The pressure of consequentialism
- 10. What is interference?
- 11. The future of rights
- 12. Conclusion.
