Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction : navigating deep waters - the problems of human rights and new perspectives of enquiry -- The concept of human rights -- The truth of human rights - a mortal daughter of time? -- Down the deeper wells of time -- Far from obvious - the quest for the justification of human rights -- A castle of sand? -- Which kind of mind, which kind of morals, which kind of rights? -- Where did it all come from? - Morality and the evolution of the mind -- The mentalist theory of ethics and law -- Epilogue : the tilted scales of justice.

"Mind and Rights combines historical, philosophical, and legal perspectives with research from psychology and the cognitive sciences to probe the justification of human rights in ethics, politics and law. Chapters critically examine the growth of the human rights culture, its roots in history and current human rights theories. They engage with the so-called cognitive revolution and investigate the relationship between human cognition and human rights to determine how insights gained from modern theories of the mind can deepen our understanding of the foundations of human rights. Mind and Rights argues that the pursuit of the human rights idea, with its achievements and tragic failures, is key to understand what kind of beings humans are. Amidst ongoing debate on the universality and legitimacy of human rights, this book provides a uniquely comprehensive analysis of great practical and political importance for a culture of legal justice undergirded by rights. Matthias Mahlmann is University Professor, Chair of Philosophy and Theory of Law, Legal Sociology and International Public Law at the University of Zurich"-- Provided by publisher.