ipl-logo

Moral Theory: The Philosophy Of Human Rights

1551 Words7 Pages

IGNATIO LANGTON Introduction The philosophy of human rights was coined by the philosophies of Emmanuel Kant, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill. These authors advocated for human rights in their philosophies. They brought in the aspect of political freedom, inequality and liberty within a society and also they dealt with the reality of moral theories by putting them into practice. It is apparent that the philosophers had an understanding of what human rights are. Rousseau highlighted in his writings that in natural state humans have uncorrupted morals. He indicated that humans will live like animal-like. He indicated that during the pre-political state, there was no socially created inequality and there were no artificial …show more content…

It brings about the fact that human rights is a conception of what rights one has by virtue of being born human. The philosophers discussed about freedom of a human being. They introduced aspects of human rights that are still used today in modern day life. They brought about issues of liberty, equality and the fact that all human beings are under the law and no one is above the law. Moral theories help to bring about control of the people who will promote and abide by the law. If moral theories are successful then the individual freedom will be …show more content…

The approach states that a human right is not qualified by any legal instrument or any institution. The moral theories focus on the universality of human rights despite our various backgrounds such as race, culture, religion or geographical boundaries. They further elaborate that human beings owe each other respect that cannot only be defined by international human rights instruments but by the fact that one is human. Jerome Shestack; in his paper ‘Philosophical foundations of Human rights’, explain theology as a source of human rights. He said that Theology states that human rights stem from a higher law than the state, The Supreme being. He gives examples from two religious books, the Bible and the Quran which both emphasize on the high value and dignity of the person as well as the sacredness of a human being. Therefore religion supports the values underpinning human rights which are equality and justice for all. He mentions that religion presents the most attractive of the theoretical

Show More
Related

  • Rousseau's Discourse On The Origin Of Moral Inequality

    1648 Words  | 7 Pages

    On the other hand, Werther takes an extremely Romantic approach, with his life and experiences demonstrating the limitations of a rational society. In Discourse on the Origin of Moral Inequality, Rousseau rationally determines that the emergence of society and the invention of property directly cause moral inequality between people, specifically, the rich and the poor. First, he establishes the state of nature as a basic system, with no complex morality or rationality involved, unlike the states of nature described by Hobbes and Locke. At the most fundamental degree, Rousseau places mankind at the same level as other animals.

    Read More

  • Enlightenment Thinkers Dbq Essay

    560 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Enlightenment period gave way to many great thinkers, known in this era as philosophes, who fought to improve society through reason and their influential statuses. The main idea of Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Mary Wollstonecraft, was to change perspectives on topics of interest, that were previously discredited, in society. John Locke, who wrote the Second Treatise on Civil Government of 1690, founded the ethical idea that all men were entitled to their natural rights. Natural rights, from John Locke’s point of view, could be defined as fundamental principles possessed by each man that is set forth by nature itself. The idea of all men being equal in “what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose [manage] of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of nature…

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On The Declaration Of Independence

    1024 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson among others, described humans’ inalienable rights. The Social Contract, by Rousseau puts forth the idea

    Read More

  • Republican Rivalry

    1050 Words  | 5 Pages

    Accordingly, the idea of human rights developed in conjunction with the progressive movement. These “human rights” developed from Theodore Roosevelt as he worked against trusts in order to end special interests and preserve the peoples’ interest (Kesler). Consequently, one might ask, what preserves the peoples’ interest, and what is the difference between natural and human rights? Natural rights indicate “that we owe our rights to our nature” (Kesler). Our nature is not determined by man, but by God.

    Read More

  • How Did John Locke's View Of Government

    131 Words  | 1 Pages

    John Locke, a great philosopher, made a great contribution to the Enlightenment ideology for both society and government. His ideas were contradictory to the ideas of Hobbes. Since, they were complete opposites. Locke believed that human nature was good while Hobbes believed that human nature was bad. Hobbes argued that his idea was right, and that for people to escape that horrible way of living, they had to give their rights away to a strong absolute leader or ruler and in return they got law and order.

    Read More

  • Machan's Arguments Against Animal Rights

    1408 Words  | 6 Pages

    Humankind is the only kind judged on morality, therefore, rights must be attributed to all of humankind. It doesn’t make sense to attribute rights to individuals. No rational person would consider it fair to give some individuals of the same kind rights, and then deny those rights to others. Simply put, rights must be given on the basis of what kind something is, not an individual basis. This also leads to the widely accepted concept of natural rights.

    Read More

  • Thomas Hobbes's Discourse On Inequality And Social Contract

    2000 Words  | 8 Pages

    In contrast to Hobbes, who argues social bonds form to regulate human nature, Rousseau argues that the formation of the civil state results from and in a “change in man,” that humans must of necessity be denatured in the process of forming society. There are similarities between the two’s philosophies, but it is Rousseau, through his arguments that human nature can be changed, who articulates a political vision more consistent with the claim that humans are asocial by nature. In the beginning, the arguments of both Hobbes and Rousseau are similar. Man in nature is isolated.

    Read More

  • Rousseau's Discourse On The Origin Of Inequality

    511 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his work Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Rousseau presents the argument that political inequality is rooted in the origins of human sociality. He suggests that in the state of nature, only physical inequality existed. Thusly meaning that political inequality only came into being as a result of human beings shifting from undifferentiated oneness to differentiated individuals. He illustrates three main stages that lead to this (civil society): the development of village life, the social division of labor and the formation of government. In forming society, we as human beings entered into social relationships and so were able to socially construct agreed upon measurements of human worth (i.e. private property) and so create political inequalities.

    Read More

  • Scientific Revolution Dbq Essay

    1137 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rousseau’s main idea is that everyone should feel safe, happy, and equal even if it means sacrificing personal joy for the good of society. If these things are not present then the community does not work. The contract

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Four Freedoms

    592 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Four Freedoms” was the main reason why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was developed.  “The Declaration was drafted over two years by the Commission on Human Rights, chaired by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.” (“The Four Freedoms” 1). It was adopted on December 10, 1948 and is known to be “one of the most widely translated documents in the world” (“The Four Freedoms” 1). This declaration insists that all rights be upheld by governments and people to secure basic human rights (“The Four Freedoms”

    Read More

  • Social Justice Refugee

    1120 Words  | 5 Pages

    Correspondingly, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights depend on dignity, equality and mutual respect – regardless of your nationality, your religion or your beliefs. Your rights are tied in with being dealt with reasonably and treating others decently, and being able to make on decisions about your own life. These fundamental human rights are: Universal; They have a place with every one of us; They can't be detracted from us, Indivisible and independent Governments should not have the capacity to choose

    Read More

  • The Ideal Society In Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Origin Of Civil Society

    1631 Words  | 7 Pages

    At the time of its publication, Rousseau had withdrawn from Paris and was living with a noblewoman. His location allowed him to write with little concern for the controversy surrounding his two previous Discourses, and the period was one of the most productive of his life (Delaney). He wrote as a way to address the ideas he had been accumulating from years traveling around Europe. His observations led him to argue that the rights of the people are violated in a civil society, and this should be changed under a social contract. After observing numerous governments, he concludes that people should only be governed by the Sovereign, a body with one collective will.

    Read More

  • Worst Effects Of Socialization

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is a fatal event in Rousseau’s mind as unlike ‘the savage’ who ‘lives in himself’, an individual in society ‘is always outside himself and knows how to live only in the opinion of others’. Very unlike the Hobbesian war-like state of nature where ‘vainglory’ cause people to act like barbarous beasts, Rousseau argues that egocentrism derives solely from social interaction believing that his predecessors were projecting ideas of modern corruption onto the state of nature. Therefore, Rousseau’s analysis of moral psychology reveals how humans have become duplicitous and false through socialisation as the foundations of competition and bettering people are laid and consequently, a ‘desire for inequality’ governs the

    Read More

  • Bryan Turner's Theory Of Human Rights

    1217 Words  | 5 Pages

    He supports the idea that human rights are a result of society. This is because he viewed human rights claims and institutions as being “unique”. He argues that human rights in an institution specific to particular culture and historic context and is in fact a human construction. Waters does not believe that all human rights do not involve all made against the state. Human rights can only include claims that are recognised as fundamental to a political community’s member’s humanity in Waters’ opinion.

    Read More

  • Durkheim And Rousseau Analysis

    1624 Words  | 7 Pages

    “This right does not come from nature, it is therefore founded upon convention”. Rousseau does not view society in the same light as Durkheim. He does not believe that society is the savior of humans and that there is no real self without it. Unlike Durkheim, Rousseau believes that the only natural society is the traditional family and that any other form is forged out of convention. Rousseau mentions that when parents are done raising their child and that child is no longer dependent, but chooses to stay then the family is together out if convention and is then unnatural.

    Read More

More about Moral Theory: The Philosophy Of Human Rights

Open Document