Constituting Economic and Social Rights

Katharine Young proposes an original theory about the development of economic and social rights, linking such development to their philosophical foundations, to their institutionalization in binding legal norms, and to their impacts in real life. It is an illuminating and well-informed account of how rights evolve, as a result of the tensions between these poles. This book is a breakthrough in scholarship on economic and social rights. ― Olivier De Schutter, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food (2008-2014), Member of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2015-2018)

Young’s work comes from a deeper sense of injustice with current world affairs and offers an imaginative and thought provoking account of the potential merits, and pitfalls, of rights based constitutionalism. ― Jamie Burton, Public Law

A brilliant discussion of an extremely difficult subject of great importance to policy making and practical reasoning. Katharine Young’s lucidity is exemplary, and so is the originality of her approach to human rights. ― Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner in Economics and Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, at Harvard University

Katharine Young’s book is both an ideal introduction to the discourse of social and economic rights and an important advance of the field. She offers a spirited defense of the possibility of a human rights practice that is both grounded and emancipatory. Skeptics will find that their reservations are extensively and fairly considered. Activists will find many provocative challenges to their conventional wisdom. All readers will be grateful for her lucid and lively exposition. ― William H. Simon, Arthur Levitt Professor of Law, Columbia Law School