Abstract
This article examines a number of the more well-known theories of the foundations of human rights that have been developed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and adds to this discussion the voice of a less well-known theorist of human rights, Hannah Arendt. The traditional theories of the foundations of human rights are divided into two camps, the essentialists and the anti-essentialists, and the benefits and limitations of each camp are analyzed. The author then articulates Arendt's view of human rights and situates her voice within the contemporary debate on human rights. Reprinted by permission of the Johns Hopkins University Press. All rights reserved.
