Understanding Human Dignity and Universal Rights

All human beings exist because we possess dignity. Dignity is an inherent condition and moral value that cannot be seen but is deeply felt. Dignity encompasses the set of rights that humans possess simply by virtue of their existence: these are human rights. They are:

• Universal: All humans possess them, and we must recognize them in others.
• Inalienable: They can never be lost, and no one can revoke them.
• Un-transferable: We cannot give them away or cede them to anyone else.
• Required: We can demand that the laws of our country recognize human rights and that governments commit to defending their compliance.

They are also principles of legitimacy. Human rights embody the ideal of justice that human society should pursue.

In major religions, commandments and teachings often emphasize the importance of practicing compassion and helping those who suffer most.

The concept of dignity has a strong foundation in philosophical tradition.

• Stoic philosophers argued that all human beings deserve to be treated fairly.
• Immanuel Kant was the first to assert that humans possess dignity, not merely a price.

The idea of freedom is linked to the liberal political tradition and the so-called rights of citizenship, or first-generation rights.

• Economic liberalism: This forms the basis of economic rights, including the right to free production and trade, the free movement of goods and capital, and the right to private property. These rights guarantee economic autonomy.
• Political liberalism:
  • Freedom to profess any religion or none.
  • Freedom to hold and defend diverse political ideas.
  • Freedom to associate with others who share similar opinions.

Citizens should have the power to oversee the government. This principle underpins the liberal political system, with all its associated rights.

The socialist political tradition championed the idea of equality and advocated for new rights, known as social rights or second-generation rights.

• The development of labor rights.
• The development of other rights, such as health coverage and education.
• The extension of political rights to all citizens.

Background of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• The First French Republic adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen in 1789.
• In 1791, the U.S. Constitution was supplemented with a Bill of Rights.
• In 1917, the Constitution of the United Mexican States became the first constitution in history to include a list of social rights.

In 1792, Denmark became the first European country to ban the slave trade.

The Second World War was the first war in history to transform the entire world into a battlefield. It demonstrated the depths of cruelty that human beings are capable of. After the war, humanity faced a dual challenge:

• To create an international legal system that would provide a legal basis for judgment.
• To establish an international order, represented by the United Nations.

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.