New from Cambridge University Press:
The Contentious History of the International Bill of Human Rights (Nov. 2014), by Christopher N. J. Roberts (University of Minnesota). A description from the Press:
Today, the idea of human rights enjoys near-universal support; yet,
there is deep disagreement about what human rights actually are – their
true source of origin, how to study them, and how best to address their
deficits. In this sweeping historical exploration, Christopher N. J.
Roberts traces these contemporary conflicts back to their moments of
inception and shows how more than a half century ago, a series of
contradictions worked their way into the International Bill of Human
Rights, the foundation of the modern system of human rights. By viewing
human rights as representations of human relations that emerge from
struggle, this book charts a new path into the subject of human rights
and offers a novel theory and methodology for rigorous empirical study.
A review:
"This book is simply splendid. The Contentious History of the International Bill of Human Rights
tackles an issue of tremendous importance today and powerfully
demonstrates how the legacies of past injustice are still with us, still
shaping international law. It is deeply researched, beautifully
written, surprising, devastating. It deserves to make a substantial
impact among human rights scholars across the disciplines and carries
important lessons for human rights activists as well." -- Elizabeth S. Anderson, University of
Michigan
More information, including an excerpt, is available here.
