This essay critically examines the justification claim attached to human rights as guarantee of a livable life in a human world. Such a critique of the justificatory claim will be accomplished with respect to the historical genealogy of human rights which leads to a politicization of experiences of violation, and with reference to human dignity which refers to the sole possibility of its being testified. Ultimately, respect for human dignity and human rights is reconstructed as a promise that raises an eminent problem of political credibility.