Crises, Human Rights and Legal Challenges

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to ponder on – and provide assistance in tackling – the latest challenges affecting individual lives and human rights. The three most severe crises of our days are global-scale social inequality; declining populations in rich economies and overpopulation in poor countries; and the threat of a climate change disaster. These three crises aggravate each other, and their negative effects combine and materialise concurrently. The key question is how social sciences – especially economics and legal sciences – respond to the symptoms of these crises and whether they can offer an accurate diagnosis or recommend a possible therapy. Do they need to exercise self-criticism and bring their scientific truths more in line with reality? It is crucial to seek answers to these questions for the sake of sustainability and future generations.