Human Rights and Human Diversity: Philosophy of Human Rights

Author: A. J. M. Milne
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-11-01
Features: The translation of this book began at the end of 1989. Initially, I borrowed it from the library of Peking University out of interest in gaining general knowledge of the philosophy of rights. After finishing it, I couldn't put it down and decided to translate it. The translation work was divided between two people, who were also geographically separated. The first part was completed by the riverside of Yishui, and the second part was done in the wild forests outside Beijing, and the drafts were compiled in mid-summer of 1991. Later, due to participating in the translation of Law and Revolution, the work was put on hold until now.
We would like to thank the Foreign Law Editorial Committee, especially Mr. Weifang He and Ms. Xiaoguang Du, for providing valuable support and assistance for the publication of this book. We also thank Professor Zongling Shen of Peking University for offering guiding suggestions for the translation of this book. While Professor Shen wrote a review of the translation draft upon the invitation of the Foreign Law Editorial Committee, he also provided 26 specific improvement suggestions, allowing us the privilege of receiving his guidance once again.
We would also like to thank the original author, Professor Milne. He has given enthusiastic encouragement and support for the translation and publication of this book and has exchanged views with us on certain insights in the book on multiple occasions. He has also specially written a preface for Chinese readers, which enhances the translated work and adds color to the original.
Professor Milne was born in England in 1922. During World War II, he served as an officer in the British army and was injured. After the war, he studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, earning his doctorate in 1952. He then conducted postdoctoral research in ethical and political philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States. Professor Milne has held teaching positions at the London School of Economics, Queen's University Belfast, the University of California, San Diego State University, and Durham University in England. He was also once the president of the British Society of Legal and Social Philosophy (1983–1986).
In terms of his writings, Professor Milne has published several notable works, including: The Social Philosophy of English Idealism (Allen and Unwin, London, 1962), Freedom and Rights (Allen and Unwin, London, 1968), and The Right to Dissent: Essays in Political Philosophy (Avebury Press, London, 1983).
This book is written by Professor A. J. M. Milne of Durham University in England. He was once the president of the British Society of Legal and Social Philosophy (1983–1986). From the perspectives of moral, political, and legal philosophy, the author conducts a comprehensive and profound exploration of the concept of human rights. He argues that human rights are moral rights, not political rights, and that the minimal human rights should include seven fundamental rights: the right to life, the right to fair treatment, the right to receive help, the right to freedom from arbitrary interference, the right to be treated honestly, the right to courtesy, and the right to be cared for as a child.
This book offers unique insights and thought-provoking perspectives, providing us with a new lens through which to understand human rights issues.