The Origins of Human Rights

This book studies the history of intercultural human rights. It examines the foundational elements of human rights in the East and the West and provides a comparative analysis of the independent streams of thought originating from the two different geographic spaces. It traces the genesis of the idea of human rights back to ancient Indian and Greco-Roman texts, especially concepts such as the Rigvedic universal moral law, the Upanishadic narratives, the Romans’ model of governance, the rule of law, and administration of justice. It also looks at Cicero’s concept of rights and duties which focuses on quality of compassion and fair play, and Seneca’s expositions on mercy, empathy, justice, and checks on the arbitrary exercise of power.

An important contribution, this book fills a significant gap in the study of human rights. It will be useful for students and researchers of political science, ancient history, religion and civilizations, philosophy, history, human rights, governance, law, sociology, and South Asian studies. The book also caters to general readers interested in the history of human rights.

R.U.S. Prasad holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. He is currently an Associate in the Department of South Asian Studies, Harvard University, USA. His published works during the last ten years include Resolving Disputes in Telecommunications: Global Practices and Future Challenges; The Rig-Vedic and Post Rig-Vedic Polity (1500 BCE–500 BCE); and River and Goddess Worship in India: Changing Perceptions and Manifestations of Sarasvati. He has earlier been a visiting research fellow at the Stanford Center for International Development, Stanford University, USA. He has also held multiple assignments within the Government of India including that of Secretary to the Government of India. He is widely traveled, has participated in various international conferences, and also worked as an Expert for two UN specialized agencies.