As a normative guiding principle, human rights are a fundamental part of central discourses on order and justice worldwide. At the same time, they are characterized by increasing pluralization and regionalization. What human rights 'actually' are or should be is more contested than ever. In light of debates surrounding so-called "Asian values" or "Islamic human rights," the question remains open to what extent human rights can transcend their origins in European political thought and be absorbed by non-European traditions. Additionally, the compatibility of human rights with 'Western' concepts and practices is increasingly being questioned. Against this backdrop, the present work aims to elucidate the normative foundations of the idea of human rights (including its diverse terms).