Michael Perry and Human Rights

Abstract

Michael Perry’s lifelong project has been to give a philosophical account of human rights. His claims rest at many points on controversial and undefended value choices. They hang together in that all are attractive, and they do not contradict one another. They forcefully state a political ideal. But the claims of entailment are unpersuasive. What he offers is less a philosophical account than a set of articles of faith.

Keywords: Michael Perry, Human rights, James Bradley Thayer, Judicial review, Moral freedom

JEL Classification: K10, K19, K39