Are Human Rights Western? by Michael Goodhart

Are Human Rights Western? by Michael Goodhart asks one of the most debated questions in human rights thought: whether the idea of universal human rights is a Western imposition or a genuinely shared human value.

The book examines the charge that human rights reflect Western history and interests, and the defences offered against it, drawing on political theory and on the global politics of rights. It argues for a way of understanding human rights that is both universal and open to the world's diversity, and that can ground criticism of abuses wherever they occur.

Key themes readers will explore:

• The debate over human rights and Western origins
• Universalism and cultural relativism in rights theory
• How human rights work in global politics
• Whether rights can be defended without Western assumptions
• What a genuinely global idea of human rights would look like

Who should read this book: Readers interested in human rights, political theory and global politics, and students seeking a clear guide to a central contemporary debate.

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