Reality check - why a belief in human rights has never really been universal

Dictators and autocrats deride human rights as a “western concept” – think Vladamir Putin and Xi Jinping, among others. They reject the narrative that a global concern for individual freedoms has steadily grown since the end of WWII. What if they’re correct? At least partially so. What if international support for the ideal of universal human rights was never really as strong as it seemed? Could a reassessment of the history of human rights help us explain current threats to personal freedoms across the globe?

Guests:

Dr Alison Brysk – Distinguished Professor of Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr Samuel Moyn – Professor of Law and History, Yale University

Dr Barbara Keys – Professor of US History, Durham University

Dr Jenna Reinbold – Associate Professor of Religion, Colgate University