Concept of Human Rights Essay

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Human Rights

Concept of human rights

The concept of human rights: Defining human rights

Human rights are rights that no government can deny, by virtue of a citizen being 'human.' Yet what constitutes a human right has varied greatly, depending upon the sentiments of the international community. There have always been basic, general rules of etiquette in terms of how to treat enemy soldiers during wartime and the actions of certain governments have been deemed outside of community norms throughout history, but standards of 'universal' human rights shift and change with history. The first formal declaration of human rights was made in 1948 by the UN. The definition of human rights today places limits on what governments can do to citizens -- examples of commonly-accepted human rights include the right to be free of the threat of genocide, slavery, and have the right to due process.

Although the words 'human rights' sound as if the rights in question derive from one's essential humanity, the fact that human rights are rooted in political systems and international and national norms underline their socially-constructed nature.

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In the ancient world, sacking entire cities and destroying entire populations was 'the norm.' In some relatively recent contexts, denying education to women was acceptable. Today, this is considered a violation of human rights, and even in some contemporary regions (such in Taliban-led Afghanistan) women have been denied the right to education. There seems an inherent contradiction in notions of human rights, which are phrased as eternal and unchanging constructs, but which change based upon common, social evolution of norms.

The division between human rights and social rights is usually phrased as a distinction between basic rights 'from' or to certain things. Human rights include freedom 'from' torture, rape, and imprisonment without cause. Social rights tend to be viewed as the right 'to' certain things, such as higher education, healthcare, and the right to better one's self in an economically just society. Social rights are far….....

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