TY - BOOK ID - 78532791 TI - Human rights and their limits PY - 2009 SN - 0511699484 1107188199 1282393790 9786612393792 0511647751 051180833X 051165183X 0511632673 0511631464 0511633874 9780511651830 9780511808333 9780521110273 0521110270 9780521125239 0521125235 9780511631467 9780511632679 9780511633874 9780511647758 9780511699481 9781282393790 PB - Cambridge [U.K.] New York, N.Y. Cambridge University Press DB - UniCat KW - Human rights. KW - Basic rights KW - Civil rights (International law) KW - Human rights KW - Rights, Human KW - Rights of man KW - Human security KW - Transitional justice KW - Truth commissions KW - Law and legislation KW - Law KW - General and Others UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:78532791 AB - Human Rights and their Limits shows that the concept of human rights has developed in waves: each call for rights served the purpose of social groups that tried to stop further proliferation of rights once their own goals were reached. While defending the universality of human rights as norms of behavior, OsiatynĚski admits that the philosophy on human rights does not need to be universal. Instead he suggests that the enjoyment of social rights should be contingent upon the recipient's contribution to society. He calls for a 'soft universalism' that will not impose rights on others but will share the experience of freedom and help the victims of violations. Although a state of unlimited democracy threatens rights, the excess of rights can limit resources indispensable for democracy. This book argues that, although rights are a prerequisite of freedom, they should be balanced with other values that are indispensable for social harmony and personal happiness. ER -