Customer Reviews

Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry

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Ignatieff offers a measured, limited, and explicitly political, i.e., dialogic, nondogmatic, nonmetaphysical, pragmatic, approach to human rights advocacy and questions of international jurisdiction. Excellent, compelling, convincing. I can't say I'm entirely convinced, mind you. One surprise is that I found Appiah's essay--I am a great admirer of Appiah and, in my estimation, his reply to Taylor in _Multiculturalism: The Politics of Recognition_ is among the finest essays ever written--unconvincing, particularly with regards to the question of "rights and majorities." On this, see Jeremy Waldron's _Law and Disagreement_.

'Human Rights' is a small book that discusses some current issues pertaining to human rights from an idealistic western foreign policy perspective. Ignatieff is a Canadian born foreign policy commentator who has spent the majority of his professional life in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ignatieff's two opening essays are followed by observations from other commentators; which in-turn are followed by closing remarks from the author. This type of discussion format is normally quite beneficial in helping readers to gain an appreciation of a given subject from a different perspectives. Unfortunately, in this work the additional commentators are to close to the author's ideological view to be of any real value. Dianne Orentlicher's observations were ok, however, the others were weak - characterized by too much flattery and self-aggrandizement.

The opening essays introduce a range of concerns within the contemporary human rights movement. Ignatieff identified relevant concerns such as; the tension between individual and collective rights, the view that the human rights movement is a type of Western imperialism, whether secular human rights is a form of cultural relativism as well as the need to balance rights and security/stability. I have heard the author speak on foreign policy issues and find him to be a generally capable foreign policy commentator.

Overall, there is not much of value in this book. If handled from a broader perspective these issues could be a worthwhile read. In its current form, however, I do not recommend it.

Ignatieff's credibility, particularly in the field of human rights, is forever tarnished by his marked appeasement of Serb ethnic cleansers in Bosnia several years ago. It is only because Bosnia was ignored, and those responsible never held accountable, that their appeasers still publish and get read. I recommend, for those who want some perpective on Ignatieff, to read his works pertaining to the Balkans written during the period 1992-1995.