This work provides a complete record of the discussisons held and papers presented at a conference on 'The Individual v. The State', held in Budapest at the Central European University, which focused on various theories about the nature and role of rights.

Rights have the function of protecting the individual against collectivity, against restrictions of individual freedom and against the imposition of burdens on individuals for the sake of the common good. Joseph Raz argues in his introduction that rights cannot be understood in terms of these functions as this would distort the understanding of their role in morality and law.

The book is divided into six parts, covering the following key topics: