The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Origins, Drafting, and Intent

Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights

by Johannes Morsink

Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Book for 1999

Born of a shared revulsion against the horrors of the Holocaust, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has become the single most important statement of international ethics. It was inspired by and reflects the full scope of President Franklin Roosevelt's famous four "the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear." Written by a UN commission led by Eleanor Roosevelt and adopted in 1948, the Declaration has become the moral backbone of more than two hundred human rights instruments that are now a part of our world. The result of a truly international negotiating process, the document has been a source of hope and inspiration to thousands of groups and millions of oppressed individuals.

Genres: Politics, Law

396 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

Reviews

[Robin Kirk]

Something I've been wanting to dig into for some time. In addition to a smart analysis of the context and drafting of this fundamental document, Morsink gives us a nuanced sense of some of the debates and choices made over issues like race, gender, and personhood. Dry but -- very informative.

[Sarah]

dry, but informative

[Jonas Stephan Johnson]

God so good Corking