Human Rights is an introductory text that is both innovative and challenging. It
invites students to think conceptually about one of the most important and
influential political concepts of our time. In this unique interdisciplinary
approach, Michael Freeman emphasizes the complex ways in which the experiences
of the victims of human rights violations are related to legal, philosophical
and social-scientific approaches to human rights.
By tracing the history of the concept, the book shows that there is a
fundamental tension between the philosophy of human rights and the way in which
it is understood in the social sciences. This analysis throws light on some of
the most