Human need is a central but complex and contested concept in social policy and the social sciences. This book engages with recent concepts and debates that have, in some respects, eclipsed the conventional discussions of the past, but which should be understood for the ways in which they advance or contribute to our understanding of human need, including debates about human wellbeing and 'happiness, ' poverty, social exclusion, global inequality, human difference, the diversity of needs, and the concept of human capabilities. The book provides an accessible overview of concepts and debates from the fields of philosophy, psychology, economics, sociology, and beyond. It presents a unique integrative model that characterizes the main approaches and shows how they may be reflected in different sorts of social policy goals. It also explores the ways in which human needs may be translated into rights and it discusses how social policy and a social rights approach can be more explicitly in.