25 March 2008

Introduction to Human Rights in Brief Publication

Summary of the universality of human rights

British philosopher John Locke personified the 17th century Enlightenment. (© The Print Collector/ Heritage-Images/ Imagestate, UK)

(The following introduction is taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, Human Rights in Brief.)

Deep in the mind and spirit of human beings lies the conviction that each and every person has rights, including a right to freedom from oppression, freedom to make reasonable choices, and freedom from cruelty. Nearly everybody feels this way, instinctively, even if they do not believe such rights are easy to obtain.

Most societies throughout history granted rights only to the lucky few. In the 18th century, in Europe, there arose the concept of “natural law”—based on a universal order — that outlined such rights for all. This philosophy had an enormous effect on the American Revolution of 1776, and on the concepts embedded in the U.S. Constitution, which is still the document that governs all American law.

In all civilized nations, attempts are made to define and buttress human rights. The core of the concept is the same everywhere: Human rights are the rights that one has simply because one is human. They are universal and equal. Human rights are also inalienable. They may be suspended, rightly or wrongly, at various places and times, but the idea of inherent rights cannot be taken away. One can no more lose these rights than one can stop being a human being.