In what follows, I take this understanding of human rights as given, not because I endorse it (although I do) but because it is the standard sense of "human rights" in contemporary international discussions. Asian and other critics are certainly correct to note that this understanding is not morally and politically neutral, but it is the dominant conception in contemporary international society. The issue, of course, is whether it is justifiable or desirable to apply universal standards based on this understanding of human rights to the countries of contemporary Asia.