Abstract

John Rawls's most influential work on human rights appears in his book The Law of Peoples. There is a lively debate between critics and advocates of Rawls's approach about a number of issues, including whether Rawls endorses a particularly concise list of human rights as establishing important ground rules in international affairs, and whether he should endorse further or different candidates as belonging to the list of human rights deserving respect. In this chapter these debates are covered. The chapter offers some relevant background important to orient the focused discussion on human rights. It covers a general overview of common critical responses to Rawls's position on human rights and influential responses to the criticisms. The chapter provides a detailed treatment of the function of human rights and the list question. It also identifies some areas for further reflection related to these important debates.