Where did human rights come from? This question, rarely asked before the end of the Cold War, has in recent years become a major focus of historical and ideological strife. In a series of reflective and critical essays, Samuel Moyn engages with some of the leading theorists of human rights, who have been creating a field from scratch without due reflection on the local and temporary contexts of their narratives.<br><br>Having staked out his owns claims about the postwar origins of human rights discourse in his acclaimed <i>The Last Utopia</i>, Moyn's new volume takes issue with his intellectual opponents—including, especially, those seeking justification for humanitarian intervention.