Human rights are the things that everyone should have, and should be able to demand, just because they are human.
The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are some of the most basic human rights. They give everyone the freedom to live their lives in a way that is safe, happy and fulfilling for them.
These rights should be a foundation for peace and justice in our societies.
They are also important because they give people the power to stand up against injustice and abuse. This is why many people fight for their rights, especially those who have been victims of abuse.
When asked what are their rights, most people will list some of the basics, like freedom of speech and belief. However, human rights are much broader than this, and include the right to have a job, adopt a career, select a partner, raise children and travel without fear of discrimination or harassment.
The human right to privacy is another example of the importance of these rights. When a person’s right to privacy is violated, they may not be able to communicate with their families or have their needs met.
There are two main ways to think about human rights: as a moral idea or as a political concept.
A moral idea argues that human rights are a product of God or of a natural law rooted in different philosophical or religious views. This is the most common explanation for how human rights become a part of society’s expectations and norms.
Alternatively, a political concept explains how human rights are a useful tool that governments use to protect certain urgent interests, such as protecting the environment or helping to prevent wars. This idea is supported by political philosophers such as John Rawls and Karl Gewirth, who believe that they are the norms of a highly useful political practice that humans have constructed or evolved over time.
For this reason, some theorists have rejected the idea of human rights as a product of God or natural law. They argue that rights plausibly attributed to divine decree must be very general and abstract so they can cover the whole of human history, not just the past few centuries.
In contrast, contemporary rights are specific and presuppose contemporary institutions (e.g., the right to a fair trial and the right to education).
These standards are also interrelated and often depend on the fulfilment of other rights. A person’s right to food, for example, may not be possible unless the state has adequate budgets to provide it.
As a result, governments have an obligation to take immediate action within their resources to make these rights real.
This is what led to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted in 1948 by world leaders. It was a response to the violence that had occurred during the Second World War and was meant to be a guideline for the future.