Reason, Justice and Dignity: A Journey to Some Unexplored So ...

Peter Leuprecht

• 23 december 2011
• 9789004220430

Samenvatting:

The book takes the reader on a journey to unexplored sources of human rights: ancient China, the golden age of Islam and 16th century Spain. All three share a strong belief in reason, justice and human dignity.



The term “human rights” is relatively recent. It was first used in the late 18th century, in the West. However, many of the basic ideas behind that concept had long been current in various other cultures and civilizations. The book traces those ideas on a journey to some unexplored, or insufficiently explored, sources of what we now call human rights, in three stages: ancient China with Confucius and Mencius; the golden age of Islam with Avicenna, Averroes and Ibn Khaldun; and 16th century Spain with Las Casas and de Vitoria. The author’s conclusion is that human rights and the fundamental concepts of reason, justice and dignity which underlie them can be a powerful, leavening source of universal human unity.