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...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now