Contrasting how Malcolm X and Hannah Arendt approached the question of human rights, this lecture examines how violence is central and hierarchy is intrinsic to the political operations of humanity. It argues that talking about humanity requires a preparedness to examine the violent legacies of humanism, including its anti-colonial kinds. Dr Ayça Çubukçu is Associate Professor in Human Rights and Co-Director of LSE Human Rights at London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the author of For the Love of Humanity: The world Tribunal on Iraq.