How did the culture of human rights develop? How did different schools of thought influence the legal documents and measures over the centuries? Was the French Revolution truly the turning point for human rights? This book analyses these fundamental questions and outlines the history of human rights from the 18th century to the present day. It captures in one lucid source the essential aspects of the subject and is both an introduction to the arguments, and the key to in-depth study of the concepts and principles. While pushing the traditional boundaries between philosophical histories of rights and legal ones, Marcello Flores provides an objective approach to the modern-day, westernised concept, and expands it to analyze the contributions from African, Asian and Islamic cultures.

Marcello Flores teaches Human Rights History and History of Culture at the University of Siena.