Book Review: ‘The Culturalization of Human Rights’ by Federico Lenzerini (Oxford University Press, 2014)

Professor Lenzerini’s recent book, The Culturalization of Human Rights Law, attempts to rescue the universalism–relativism debate from the collective amnesia. From theory to the law, Lenzerini takes the reader on an intense intellectual journey to examine the philosophical roots of universalism and relativism, and how culture finds expression in human rights law. The book is, however, not an easy read, particularly for those who are not accustomed to the debate. Perhaps it is useful to begin with the question central to most scholarly work on the topic, and to which this book is no exception: What do we mean by referring to human rights as “universal”?