Universal Rights in a Post-Western World

This is an open access book. Universal rights provide a powerful antidote to the political disruptions we currently see gaining traction in various parts of the globe. The book proposes a strict conceptual differentiation between universal rights, on the one hand, and the rhetoric of "Western values", on the other. Maximum clarity in this regard has meanwhile become a precondition for the survival of the concept of universality in an emerging post-Western world. However, given undeniable impregnations of human rights by Occidental cultural, philosophical and theological traditions, this is easier said than done. Hence, what is needed is a combination of conceptual clarification and historical analysis. After interpreting the moral authority of universal rights as based on the dignity of all human beings in their capacity as responsible agents, the book offers a short alternative reading of the recent history of human rights, especially after the adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration. Political demands of indigenous peoples provide an illustrative example demonstrating that the universality of human rights requires ever-new adaptations and reformulations. In short: universality of rights can only make sense when understood as a concept permanently "on probation". The good news is that this is more than an abstract postulate, as evidenced in the recent evolution of human rights, not least driven forward by contributions from people living in the global South. The book mainly addresses graduate students working in different disciplines, such as philosophy, political science and law.