The notion of "human rights" is widely used in political and moral debates. The core idea, that all human beings have some inalienable basic rights, is appealing and has an important practical function: It allows moral criticism of various wrongs and calls for action in order to prevent them. The articles in this collection take up a tension between the wide political use of human rights claims and some intellectual skepticism about them. In particular, three major issues call for clarification: the questions of how to justify human rights, how to determine their scope and the corresponding ... .

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Human rights : questions of aim and approach / James Griffin -- On the nature of human rights / John Tasioulas -- Human rights without foundations? / Peter Schaber -- The political and moral conceptions of human rights : a mixed account / Erasmus Mayr -- Problems with some consequentialist arguments for basic rights / Samuel Freeman -- Human rights as rights / Rowan Cruft -- On human rights and the strength of corresponding duties / Corinna Mieth -- The moral demandingness of socioeconomic human rights / Jan-Christoph Heilinger -- Common humanity as a justification for human rights claims / Simon Hope -- Universal human rights and moral diversity / Gerhard Ernst.

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