The economics of human rights.

Summary This thesis shows how economics can be used to defend human rights. It does so by showing why human rights are a standard for defining social justice and sustainable development. Moreover, if human rights can be a legitimate norm, economists also have a role to play in defining this norm. We develop such an approach in four chapters. The first is devoted to the history of economic thought in relation to human rights. The second chapter focuses on the "public choice" movement, the theories of justice, as well as systemic approaches. It establishes the foundations of an economics of human rights. The third chapter, using a regulationist approach, examines the interactions between capitalism and human rights. The fourth concludes with the importance of human rights for the processes of globalization and development.