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Human Rights and the Uses of History

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Human Rights and the Uses of History by Samuel Moyn explores the historical development and significance of human rights, scrutinising how historical narratives shape contemporary political and ethical debates. The book delves into the relationship between human rights history and modern political challenges, arguing for a nuanced understanding of the past to inform present practices. Moyn's analysis encourages readers to reconsider the origins and functions of human rights movements.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are interested in exploring how historical perspectives can illuminate the development and deployment of human rights concepts in modern times. It may appeal to those curious about the interplay between historical narratives and contemporary political and moral debates on human rights.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

What are the origins of human rights? This question, rarely asked before the end of the Cold War, has in recent years become a major focus of historical and ideological strife.

In this sequence of reflective and critical studies, Samuel Moyn engages with some of the leading interpreters of human rights, thinkers who have been creating a field from scratch without due reflection on the local and temporal contexts of the stories they are telling.

Having staked out his own claims about the postwar origins of human rights discourse in his acclaimed Last Utopia, Moyn, in this volume, takes issue with rival conceptions – including, especially, those that underlie justifications of humanitarian intervention.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Human Rights and the Uses of History by Samuel Moyn is praised for being an engrossing read, offering a deep and challenging analysis of the terminology and ideas prevalent in modern political debate. The book is noted for contributing to the ongoing discourse on the direction and essence of the human rights movement, positioning Moyn as a leading voice in revising traditional perspectives in this field.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781781689004

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 August 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 232g

Pages: 208

About the Author

SAMUEL MOYN is professor of law and history at Harvard University. He is the author of The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History, and Christian Human Rights (2015), among other books, as well as editor of the journal Humanity. He also writes regularly for Foreign Affairs and The Nation.

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