As the title suggests, this edited work contains the conceptual foundations of the idea of human rights. It seeks to explain the basic ideas, arguments and controversies behind the human rights in a way that is both clear and comprehensive. The book deals with the real world of human rights from their origins to their latest manifestations and implications. There, we move from ancient and medieval sources of the rights idea to the realities of the twentieth century and the challenges of the twenty first. This combination of theory and practical of concept and context is rare in a book on human rights. While drawing on the latest contributions, it explains the conceptual issues in clear language, explores the new trends in human rights and suggests sources for further research on the core issues surrounding human rights in our time.