Rights are central to modern social and political life, and yet there is deep disagreement among citizens and philosophers about just what they mean. They come in many different shapes and sizes: legal, moral, civil, political, social, economic, and human. Who has them? Who should have them? Who can claim them? What are the grounds upon which they can be claimed? How are they related to other important moral and political values such as community, virtue, autonomy, democracy, and social justice? Duncan Ivison offers an accessible integration of, and introduction to, the history and philosophy of rights. He focuses on the politics of rights: the fact that rights have always been, and will remain, deeply contested. He discusses not only the historical contexts in which some of the leading philosophers of rights formed their arguments but also the moral and logical issues they raise for thinking about the nature of rights more generally. At each step, Ivison also considers various criticisms of rights, including those made by communitarian, feminist, Marxist, and postmodern critics. The book is intended for students and readers coming to these issues for the first time as well as more knowledgeable readers looking for a distinctive integration of history and theory about questions of the nature of rights. | Rights by Duncan Ivison, Paperback | Indigo Chapters