Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition)

Description

Very Short Introductions have proven to be extremely popular with general readers, as well as undergraduates and their lecturers.

Today it is usually not long before a problem gets expressed as a human rights issue. Indeed, human rights law continues to gain increasing attention internationally, and must move quickly in order to keep up with a social world that changes so rapidly.

This Very Short Introduction, in its second edition, brings the issue of human rights up to date, considering the current controversies surrounding the movement. Discussing torture and arbitrary detention in the context of counter terrorism, Andrew Clapham also considers new challenges to human rights in the context of privacy, equality and the right to health. Looking at the philosophical justification for rights, the historical origins of human rights and how they are formed in law, Clapham explains what our human rights actually are, what they might be, and where the human rights movement is heading.

New to this Edition

• Brings the Bush Administration’s approach to the war on terror up to date by referencing Obama’s reversal of some policies
• Accounts for new issues of restrictions on speech and press freedom in the wake of the emerging concerns for privacy and cyberbullying
• Acknowledges issues related to climate change and the debate over ‘climate justice’ and ‘climate refugees’ that have generated a new dimension to the human rights debate
• Provides a more intense discussion of hate speech, islamophobia, and what is referred to as ‘defamation of religion’ in light of the situations in Libya and Syria
• Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series – over seven million copies sold worldwide

Table of Contents

1. Preface
2. Looking at rights
3. Historical development and contemporary concerns
4. Human rights foreign policy and the role of the United Nations
5. Torture
6. Deprivations of life and liberty
7. Balancing rights – free speech and privacy
8. Food, education, health, housing, and work
9. Discrimination and equality
10. The death penalty
11. Final remarks
12. References
13. Further reading
14. Annex: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
15. Index

About the Series

Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects – from Public Health to Buddhist Ethics, Soft Matter to Classics, and Art History to Globalization. Each volume provides an authoritative and engaging assessment of a concept, field, or body of work, drawing out the central ideas, themes, and approaches. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, new insights, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable to develop your core knowledge. With over 700 titles and many more in development, as well as regularly updated new editions, the series is constantly evolving to reflect a contemporary readership. Whatever your area of study, whatever the topic that fascinates you, the series is an indispensable and accessible guide that will enrich your understanding.

Reviews

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Author Biography

Andrew Clapham, Professor of Public International Law at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva

Andrew Clapham is Professor of Public International Law at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva. Before he joined the Graduate Institute of International Studies Institute in 1997, he was the Representative of Amnesty International to the United Nations in New York. He was the Director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights from 2006 until 2014. His publications include The 1949 Geneva Conventions: A Commentary, co-edited with Paola Gaeta and Marco Sassòli, (OUP 2015) and The Oxford Handbook of International Law in Armed Conflict, co-edited with Paola Gaeta (OUP 2014).