Human Rights: Very Short Introduction by Andrew Clapham
Human Rights: Very Short Introduction by Andrew Clapham is a book that looks at the philosophical justification for rights, the historical origins of human rights and how they are formed in law. It also explains what our human rights actually are, what they might be, and where the human rights movement is heading at the moment.
The book moves on to discuss torture, restrictions on freedom, death penalty, privacy, food, education, housing and work as rights. This calls for overcoming a range of obstacles, including the need to balance rights with other values such as security and development.
The main themes of the book are the philosophical justification for rights, the historical origins of human rights, and how they are formed in law. It also explains what our human rights actually are, what they might be, and where the human rights movement is heading at the moment. The book also looks at the obstacles to achieving human rights, such as the need to balance rights with other values such as security and development.
The book provides useful takeaways such as:
- Understanding the philosophical justification for rights
- Learning about the historical origins of human rights
- Knowing how human rights are formed in law
- Exploring what our human rights actually are
- Examining the obstacles to achieving human rights
- Balancing rights with other values such as security and development
What I Liked
Like all Very Short Introductions, this one did a fabulous job explaining both the theory and practical application of Human Rights. Like most “big ideas” – they are both super simple…and highly complex. This book handled that contrast well.
The book did an amazing job giving me and appreciation for the achievement of the creation of the idea of human rights and why they are so important to protect. They are not inherent or based in history – they are an agreement among all humans for the benefit of all. They take active maintenance or else they will fade away.
What I Did Not Like
Not a whole lot – there were some academic spots. But overall an excellent Introduction.
