Lecture Week 1 Flashcards
(19 cards)
The definition of Human Rights
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. (OHCHR)
What are the three most important characteristics of Human Rights?
Inherent, Universal, Equality
How do human rights have a religious basis?
Do naught to others which, if done to thee, would cause thee pain: this is the sum of duty (Hinduism)
What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire law; all the rest is commentary. (Judaism)
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Christianity)
As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don’t do to them (Islam)
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful (Buddhism)
Why can’t you call human rights religious
In religion the rules are mostly duties towards gods, and they have nothing to do with rights
Non western philosophical basis of HR?
Hsün Tzu (310-220 BC) is one of the people who laid a philosophical basis for HR. He wants to take away fear and strife with a goal to strife for an orderly society. This should be based on recognition of individual rights.
Philosophical basis by the Greeks
Natural Law: universal nature or god –> rules to act as good people.
Critics: stoïcism –> so there is no absolute equality.
Natural law by John Locke (1632-1704)
► universal law of nature > everyone
► + natural rights° –> obligation
► government° (via contract)
► incompliance -> destitution !
Natural Law by Paine (1737-1809)
mensen zijn van nature vrij en gelijk, en rechten komen voort uit de menselijke natuur zelf, niet uit traditie of eigendom. Bij John Locke ligt de nadruk juist op natuurlijke rechten zoals leven, vrijheid en eigendom, waarbij eigendom een fundamentele basis vormt voor vrijheid en maatschappelijke ordening. Paine is dus radicaler en meer egalitair, terwijl Locke meer de belangen van bezit beschermt.
Freedom Philosophy by Rousseau (1712-1778)
Rousseau stelt dat ware vrijheid voortkomt uit het gehoorzamen aan wetten die men zichzelf als deel van de gemeenschap heeft opgelegd — via de general will (algemene wil). In de natuurtoestand zijn mensen vrij, maar pas in de sociale orde gebaseerd op gelijkheid en collectieve soevereiniteit zijn ze echt vrij, omdat ze dan niet onderworpen zijn aan de willekeur van anderen.
Freedom Philosophy by Kant (1724-1803)
-Man is reasonable being so a man has rights to dignity
-Human rights are (political) freedom, equality, (economic) autonomy
Human rights before the 18th century
Code of Ur-Nammu (2112-2095 BC)
Laws of Lipit-Ishtar (1934-1924BC)
Code of Hammurabi (1795-1750 BC)
Laws of the Hittites (1650-1100 BC)
Cylinder of Cyrus (539-538 BC)
Edicts of Ashoka (300 BC)
Constitution of Medina (622)
Magna Carta (1215)
Golden Bull (Aranybulla) (1222)
English Bill of Rights (1689)
Human rights as from the 18th century
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen (1789)
US Constitution & Bill of Rights (10 Amendments) (1787 & 1791)
Belgian Constitution (1831)
Constitution of St. Paul’s Church (1849)
What did the first “human rights” contain? (Code of Hammirabi and the Cylinder of Cyprus)
Code of Hammurabi: Equality before law, right to property, women’s rights, children’s rights
Cylinder of Cyprus: freedom and security, right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of movement, social-economic rights
How did human rights change after this? (Edicts of Asoka and Constitution of Medina)
-Rights of minorities to practice their own religion and culture (constitution of Medina)
- Freedom of religion (Edicts of Asoka)
Wat zijn de belangrijkste mijlpalen in de juridische evolutie van mensenrechten?
- Antieke oorsprong: Ideeën over rechtvaardigheid, natuurrecht en menselijke waardigheid komen voor bij o.a. Cicero, de Stoa, en het christendom.
- Magna Carta (1215): Eerste beperking van koninklijke macht, inspiratie voor latere rechten.
- Engelse Bill of Rights (1689): Legt rechten van burgers vast t.o.v. de monarch.
- Franse Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens en Burger (1789): Universele principes van vrijheid, gelijkheid en broederschap.
- Amerikaanse Grondwet en Bill of Rights (1787/1791): Bescherming van individuele rechten tegen de staat.
-
20e eeuw – internationale erkenning:
- VN-Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens (1948): Universeel referentiepunt.
- Conventies en verdragen: EVRM (1950), IVBPR (1966), IVESCR (1966).
- Institutionalisering: Oprichting van mensenrechtenorganen (bijv. Mensenrechtenraad van de VN, Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens).
How did the Human right, political situation and enlightenment clash?
Civil rights: right to personal liberty, right to life, prohibition of torture, right to privacy, freedom of religion
Political rights: right to free election, freedom of assembly, association and speech
All these principles got introduced in the enlightenment.
BUT, there was slavery, racism, discrimination against women and classism (industrial revolution)
What movement came up as a frist reaction to the first generation of HR?
Socialism (Karl Marx): the right to have property is actually unrestrained capitalism. Therefore there is a need for interference (positive state action –> to reach equality)
As a consequence of the clash of HR and the political situation and socialism, there were economic, social and cultural rights introduced. What were these?
These were meant to creating circumstances for dignified life.
- Right to housing, social security (social)
- Freedom of trade, right to work (economic)
- right to organise activities in own language (cultural)
which four groups were still struggling for HR?
-feminist struggle (Déclaration des droits de la Femme et de la citoyenne (1791) – Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) – Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)
- Abolishment struggle: Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery Throughout the British Dominions (1823) – Wilberforce 1807/1833 British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (1839)
- Standards of war: 4 Conventions of Geneva (1949) + 3 Optional protocols (1977/2005)
protection of vulnerable persons during conflicts, protection of wounded and sick soldiers ≠ conflict, neutrality personnel - Minorities
