
Critical Theory and Human Rights
From Compassion to Coercion
David McGrogan(Author)
Manchester University Press
Published on 28. November 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-1-5261-7464-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book describes how human rights have given rise to a vision of benevolent governance that, if fully realised, would be antithetical to individual freedom. It describes human rights' evolution into a grand but nebulous project, rooted in compassion, with the overarching aim of improving universal welfare by defining the conditions of human well-being and imposing obligations on the state and other actors to realise them. This gives rise to a form of managerialism, preoccupied with measuring and improving the 'human rights performance' of the state, businesses and so on. The ultimate result is the 'governmentalisation' of a pastoral form of global human rights governance, in which power is exercised for the general good, moulded by a complex regulatory sphere which shapes the field of action for the individual at every turn. This, unsurprisingly, does not appeal to rights-holders themselves. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'A formidable corpus of case law and other normative outputs have been developed in justification of positive human rights obligations and in favour of expansion of their scope and content. Critical theory and human rights: From compassion to coercion shows the inadequacy of an account of positive obligations that fails to seriously appreciate their intrusiveness and power of coercion. The book shows how human rights law interpreted as imposing ever more expanding positive obligations, runs the risk of undermining the very reason for which it was historically established - preserving individual freedoms.'Dr Vladislava Stoyanova, Associate Professor of Public International Law at Lund University in Sweden -- .
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
430 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-7464-2 (9781526174642)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2021
1st Edition
Manchester University Press
from
€55.99
Available for download

E-Book
05/2021
1st Edition
Manchester University Press
€55.99
Available for download
Person
David McGrogan is Associate Professor of Law at Northumbria Law School -- .
Content
Introduction
1 Solipsism and imperialism
2 Between nomos and telos
3 Human rights' directing idea
4 The governmentalisation of global human rights governance
5 Tactics rather than laws
6 Nothing but rejoicing
Conclusion
Index -- .
1 Solipsism and imperialism
2 Between nomos and telos
3 Human rights' directing idea
4 The governmentalisation of global human rights governance
5 Tactics rather than laws
6 Nothing but rejoicing
Conclusion
Index -- .