Stephen Shute

A collection of essays on human rights. The focus varies across the contributions, although most react to the then-current changes in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the collapse of Yugoslavia. The introduction by the editors does a good job of summarizing the theses of the authors, allowing the reader to select those of primary interest. For me, that by Steven Lukes was interesting as it seeks to find a good foundation for human rights within several of the predominant political philosophies. The chapter by Rawls is an early version of what he would later publish as The Law of Peoples, and unless one is intrigued by the development of his ideas one might skip this in favor of the later work. The chapter by Catherine MacKinnon was exactly what one might expect, and once its primary point has been presented--that women are systematically disadvantaged--can be safely passed over.

I had not read much Rorty before, so was surprised to find him arguing that rights should depend not on reasoning about what it means to be this thing called "human" but upon appeals to the feelings of those in power. That's a weak basis to tell any disadvantaged group that they have only as much as those in power are inclined to give them. Apparently there is no human nature, and thus we are infinitely malleable in what we will tolerate and recognize, and what progress is made is accomplished only by having a good PR campaign: "the emergence of the human rights culture seems to owe nothing to increased moral knowledge, and everything to hearing sad and sentimental stories." There is a certain truth that sad stories create an opening, but they do not provide a reason, and that is why, despite being awash in sad stories, bigotry, prejudice and apathetic dismissal to the conditions of others endures.… (more)