Overview

Based on the author's first-hand experience as a UN Special Rapporteur, this thought-provoking and original book examines the values of Eastern civilisations and their contribution to the development of the UN Human Rights agenda. Offering an authoritative analysis of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Surya P. Subedi, KC, focuses on the norms underpinning these two seminal Eastern philosophies to assess the extent to which the ancient civilisations already have human rights values embedded in them. Chapters explore the expression of values in the scriptures and practices of these philosophies, assessing their influence on the contemporary understanding of human rights. Rejecting the argument based on ''Asian Values'' that is often used to undermine the universality of human rights, the book argues that secularism, personal liberty and universalism are at the heart of both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The unique perspective offered by Human Rights in Eastern Civilisations will appeal to students, academics and researchers in a wide range of disciplines, including human rights, international law and relations, and religious studies.

Full Product Details

Author:   Surya P. Subedi
Publisher:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
ISBN:  

9781800883611

ISBN 10:   1800883617
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   16 March 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

List of Figures. List of Tables. List of Contributors. Series Editors' Preface. Acknowledgments. 1. Introduction: Susan Pollock and Reinhard Bernbeck (Binghamton University, SUNY; Binghamton University, SUNY). 2. A Cultural-Historical Framework: Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock. Part I: Producing and Disseminating Knowledge About the Ancient Near East: Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock. 3. Who Has Not Eaten Cherries with the Devil? Archaeology under Challenge: Caroline Steele (Independent Scholar). 4. Archaeology and Nationalism in the Holy Land: Adel Yahya (Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange). 5. Archaeology Goes to War at the Newstand: Susan Pollock. 6. The Past as Fact and Fiction: From Historical Novels to Novel Histories: Reinhard Bernbeck. Part II: Reassessing Evolutionary ?Firsts?: Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock. 7. Bleeding or Breeding: Neandertals vs. Early Modern Humans in the Middle Paleolithic Levant : John Shea (Stony Brook University, SUNY). 8. Lumps of Clay and Pieces of Stone: Ambiguity, Bodies, and Identity as Portrayed in Neolithic Figurines: Ian Kuijt and Meredith Chesson (University of Notre Dame; University of Notre Dame). 9. The State: The Process of State Formation as Seen from Mesopotamia: Jean-Daniel Forest (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris). 10. Archaeology, Bible, and the History of the Levant in the Iron Age: Israel Finkelstein (Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University). 11. Imperialism: Mario Liverani (University of Rome). Part III: Constructing Arguments, Understanding Perceptions: Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock. 12. Ethnoarchaeology, Analogy, and Ancient Society: Marc Verhoeven (University Museum, University of Tokyo). 13. The Ancient Sumerians in the Tides of Time: Petr Charvat (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Charles University, Prague). 14. Reliquaries on the Landscape: Mounds as Matrices of Human Cognition: Sharon Steadman (SUNY Cortland). 15. Archaeology and Texts in the Ancient Near East: Paul Zimansky (Boston University). 16. Representations, Reality, and Ideology: Jennifer Ross (Hood College). Index

Reviews

'A timely and important contribution that explores the implications of the shift in economic and political power to Asia for the global human rights agenda pursued since 1948. Former UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia Surya Subedi writes from his unique perspective, including his knowledge of Hindu and Buddhist teachings, to argue that those significant religions share deeply-ingrained common values with those expressed in the UniversaI Declaration of Human Rights, and that the shift in global power will not lead to a turning away from the human rights agenda.' - Charlotte Ku, Texas A&M University School of Law 'Surya P. Subedi, now Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds, was born in a simple Nepali village and received a Sanskrit education until the age of 13. This book records his passionate and very personal attempt to bridge two worlds, to bring the world of his Brahmin ancestors, the Hindu civilization that they embodied, into harmony with the modern world of human rights and to show that there need be no contradiction, and indeed that human rights can receive succour from the well-springs of Hinduism and Buddhism.' - David N. Gellner, University of Oxford, UK

‘The author’s book is, by and large, a normative project interpreting specific discourses in Hinduism (and its spill overs to Buddhism) to trace today’s human rights law to the earliest tenets of ancient Hindu scriptures. In identifying this rare question in international human rights law scholarship, and engaging in the intellectual query and deep speculative thought required to preliminarily investigate this question, Dr Subedi’s reflections provide fertile ground for future research that widens our search for the origins of human rights, and today’s contested human rights practices.’ -- Diane A Desierto, Notre Dame Law School and Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, US 'A timely and important contribution that explores the implications of the shift in economic and political power to Asia for the global human rights agenda pursued since 1948. Former UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia Surya Subedi writes from his unique perspective, including his knowledge of Hindu and Buddhist teachings, to argue that those significant religions share deeply-ingrained common values with those expressed in the UniversaI Declaration of Human Rights, and that the shift in global power will not lead to a turning away from the human rights agenda.' -- Charlotte Ku, Texas A&M University School of Law 'Surya P. Subedi, now Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds, was born in a simple Nepali village and received a Sanskrit education until the age of 13. This book records his passionate and very personal attempt to bridge two worlds, to bring the world of his Brahmin ancestors, the Hindu civilization that they embodied, into harmony with the modern world of human rights and to show that there need be no contradiction, and indeed that human rights can receive succour from the well-springs of Hinduism and Buddhism.' -- David N. Gellner, University of Oxford, UK

'Surya P. Subedi, now Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds, was born in a simple Nepali village and received a Sanskrit education until the age of 13. This book records his passionate and very personal attempt to bridge two worlds, to bring the world of his Brahmin ancestors, the Hindu civilization that they embodied, into harmony with the modern world of human rights and to show that there need be no contradiction, and indeed that human rights can receive succour from the well-springs of Hinduism and Buddhism.' -- David N. Gellner, University of Oxford, UK

'A timely and important contribution that explores the implications of the shift in economic and political power to Asia for the global human rights agenda pursued since 1948. Former UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Cambodia Surya Subedi writes from his unique perspective, including his knowledge of Hindu and Buddhist teachings, to argue that those significant religions share deeply-ingrained common values with those expressed in the UniversaI Declaration of Human Rights, and that the shift in global power will not lead to a turning away from the human rights agenda.' -- Charlotte Ku, Texas A&M University School of Law 'Surya P. Subedi, now Professor of International Law at the University of Leeds, was born in a simple Nepali village and received a Sanskrit education until the age of 13. This book records his passionate and very personal attempt to bridge two worlds, to bring the world of his Brahmin ancestors, the Hindu civilization that they embodied, into harmony with the modern world of human rights and to show that there need be no contradiction, and indeed that human rights can receive succour from the well-springs of Hinduism and Buddhism.' -- David N. Gellner, University of Oxford, UK

Author Information

Surya P. Subedi, Professor of International Law, University of Leeds, Visiting Faculty Member on the International Human Rights Law Programme, University of Oxford, and Practising Barrister, Three Stone Chambers, London, UK

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