Struggles for the Human: Violent Legality and the Politics of Rights

Lara Montesinos Coleman's book Struggles for the Human reorients debates on human rights by focusing on understandings of legality, ethics, and humanity in anticapitalist and decolonial struggle. She rejects claims that human rights are inherently tied to capitalism, liberalism, or colonialism and demonstrates how they can be used to combat these forces. Coleman shows how social justice struggles rooted in marginalized communities' lived experiences can redefine human rights to challenge oppressive power structures and offer a blueprint for constructing alternative political economies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 05 January 2024
Publisher: Duke University Press

Lara Montesinos Coleman's groundbreaking work, "Struggles for the Human," delves into a profound exploration of human rights, blending ethnography, political philosophy, and critical theory to reorient our understanding of these vital principles. Through her extensive engagement with grassroots social movements in Colombia, Coleman unveils a startling realization: mainstream expressions of human rights have inadvertently become allies of capitalist violence, while simultaneously disavowing the devastating consequences of this system. In her quest to challenge these prevailing narratives, Coleman rejects the notion that human rights are inherently tied to capitalism, liberalism, or colonialism. Instead, she presents a compelling argument that human rights can be repurposed as powerful tools to combat these oppressive forces.

Coleman's work is a testament to the transformative power of social justice struggles, as she demonstrates how marginalized communities' lived experiences can reshape human rights discourse and challenge oppressive power structures. By examining the practice of redefining human rights away from abstract universals and contextualizing them within concrete struggles for justice, Coleman unveils the potential for human rights to become agents of change and transformation.

Through her insightful analysis, Coleman invites readers to question and reshape dominant legal and ethical narratives, challenging us to embrace a more inclusive and equitable vision of human rights. "Struggles for the Human" is a seminal work that sheds light on the complex interplay between human rights, capitalism, and social justice, and offers a blueprint for constructing alternative political economies that prioritize the well-being and dignity of all individuals.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478020820