Reframing the Intercultural Dialogue on Human Rights A Philosophical Approach [Hardcover]

In this book, Flynn stresses the vital role of intercultural dialogue in developing a non-ethnocentric conception of human rights. He argues that J?rgen Habermass discourse theory provides both the best framework for such dialogue and a much-needed middle path between philosophical approaches that derive human rights from a single foundational source and those that support multiple foundations for human rights (Charles Taylor, John Rawls, and various Rawlsians).

By analyzing the historical and political context for debates over the compatibility of human rights with Christianity, Islam, and Asian Values, Flynn develops a philosophical approach that is continuous with and a critical reflection on the intercultural dialogue on human rights. He reframes the dialogue by situating it in relation to the globalization of modern institutions and by arguing that such dialogue must address issues like the legacy of colonialism and global inequality while also being attuned to actual political struggles for human rights.

Introduction  Part I. Multiple Foundations for Human Rights  1. Compatibility Debates, Colonial Subtexts, and Global Inequality  2. Human Rights as Political, not Metaphysical  3. Unforced Consensus and Multiple Modernities  Part II. A Dialogical Framework  4.Reconstructing the Western Model  5. How to Frame a Real Dialogue  6. The Shifting Horizons of Secular Modernity  7. A Realistic Utopia of Human Rights. Conclusion

An exciting new contribution to the literature on human rights. Flynn systematically reconstructs Habermass discourse-theoretical approach to human rights and compellingly argues for its superiority over rival approaches. -- Amy Allen, Dartmouth College, USA

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