Egalitarian Rights Recognition: A Political Theory of Human Rights

by Matt Hann

Overview

This book takes a distinctive and innovative approach to a relatively under-explored question, namely: Why do we have human rights? Much political discourse simply proceeds from the idea that humans have rights because they are human without seriously interrogating this notion. Egalitarian Rights Recognition offers an account of how human rights are created and how they may be seen to be legitimate: rights are created through social recognition. By combining readings of 19^th Century English philosopher T.H. Green with 20^th Century political theorist Hannah Arendt, the author constructs a new theory of the social recognition of rights. He challenges both the standard ‘natural rights’ approach and also the main accounts of the social recognition of rights which tend to portray social recognition as settled norms or established ways of acting. In contrast, Hann puts forward a 10-point account of the dynamic and contingent social recognition of human rights,which emphasises the importance of meaningful socio-economic equality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349955503
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	06/10/2018
Series:	International Political Theory
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2016
Pages:	197
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Matt Hann received his PhD in political theory, focussing on the theoretical justifications of human rights, in 2014 from Durham University, UK. Before this, he studied at Durham and at Universität Konstanz, Germany. He has published work in journals including Political Theory and the Journal of Moral Philosophy.

Table of Contents

Introduction.- Chapter 1: T.H. Green and the social recognition of rights.- Chapter 2: Hannah Arendt: the paradox of the Rights of Man, the political community, judgment, and recognition.- Chapter 3: Societies of rights: what does a political community look like?.- Chapter 4: Rights recognition and cosmopolitanism: global egalitarian rights recognition.- Conclusion-. Bibliography.- Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Matt Hann defends a new view of recognition - egalitarian rights recognition - that is one of the most exciting developments in the theory of rights I have seen in recent years. Historically informed and addressing deep contemporary problems, it is a must read for anyone with an interest in this crucial subject.” (Thom Brooks, Professor of Law and Government, Durham University, UK)

“If you want to understand why the "recognition theory" of rights has become one of the leading theories of human rights, you should read Hann's book. It is the best up-to-date and critical account of the historical sources and contemporary restatements of this theory which challenges the idea that rights are ‘natural’ and we have them because we are ‘human’. Hann's own 'ten propositions' account sketches a unique synthesis of egalitarianism, practices of recognition and cosmopolitanism.” (Maria Dimova-Cookson, Lecturer in Politics, Durham University, UK)