Searching for the Rights in Human Rights: A Hohfeldian Approach for Human Rights

References

Cite

Share

Abstract

.......................................................................................................................... i Thesis Declaration ........................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ v Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: The Landscape of Human Rights (the Contemporary Debate) ............................4 1.1. Towards an Intuitive Theory of Human Rights .................................................................... 5 1.2. Contemporary Theories of Human Rights ........................................................................... 9 1.2.1. Foundationalist Accounts of Human Rights .......................................................................................10 1.2.2. Functionalist Accounts of Human Rights ............................................................................................17 1.3. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2: The Analytic Treatment of Rights ................................................................... 21 2.1. The Hohfeldian Analysis of Rights .................................................................................... 23 2.1.1. First Order Elements: Claims and Privileges .......................................................................................24 2.1.2. Higher Order Elements: Powers and Immunities ...............................................................................29 2.1.3. Completing the Hohfeldian Picture ....................................................................................................31 2.2. Conclusion. ..................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Are all Theories of Rights Compatible with Human Rights? ............................. 37 3.1. Alienable Rights .............................................................................................................. 38 3.2. The Inalienable Nature of (at least some) Human Rights ................................................... 44 3.3. The Will Theory and Inalienable Rights............................................................................. 51 3.3.1. Is the Will Theory Incompatible with Inalienable Rights? ..................................................................53 3.3.2. Simmonds’ Unilateral Will Theory ......................................................................................................56 3.3.3. Steiner’s Denial of Inalienable Rights .................................................................................................59 3.4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: A Theory of Rights for Human Rights .............................................................. 65 4.1. Towards an Interest Theory of Directional Duties ............................................................. 65 4.1.1. Sufficient Interests..............................................................................................................................69 4.2. Defending the Dichotomy ................................................................................................ 75 4.3. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 84