It is the author"s belief that issues in philosophy in general and in the area of ethics and rights in particular cannot be fully understood or resolvd unless they are are localized and applied to human situations and dilemmas. Therefore this book will speak to the interconnections that exist between theory and practice. Our aim is to provide materials on the theoretical analysis of rights, but also to apply such analyses to specific ethical situations in which rights are the central issue. The book begins with an essay on the nature of human rights. It then examines rights in relation to the topics of living, dying, the environment, future generations, health care, property, employee rights, the claims of women and minorities, rights of victims and criminals, welfare rights, and rights in the thrid world.