Political science · An Introduction To Political Theory 9th Edition O. P. Gauba
Chapter 15 : Concept of Human Rights
Table of contents44 sections
- 1.Concept of Human Rights
- 2.Nature of Human Rights
- 3.Key Terms
- 4.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 5.Concept of Rights
- 6.Key Terms
- 7.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 8.Conventional Theories of Rights
- 9.Theory of Natural Rights
- 10.Theory of Moral Rights
- 11.Theory of Legal Rights
- 12.Historical Theory of Rights
- 13.Social-Welfare Theory of Rights
- 14.Key Terms
- 15.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 16.Social-Democratic Perspective
- 17.Laski's Theory of Rights
- 18.Key Terms
- 19.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 20.Marxist Perspective
- 21.Concept of Rights
- 22.Rights Under the Capitalist System
- 23.Rights Under the Socialist System
- 24.Key Terms
- 25.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 26.Genesis of Human Rights
- 27.Key Terms
- 28.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 29.Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- 30.Key Terms
- 31.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 32.Scope of Human Rights
- 33.Key Terms
- 34.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 35.Theories of Human Rights
- 36.Key Terms
- 37.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 38.Three Generations of Rights
- 39.Key Terms
- 40.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 41.Debate on the Status of Human Rights
- 42.Key Terms
- 43.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 44.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Concept of Human Rights
Nature of Human Rights
Human rights are rights an individual is entitled to by virtue of their status as a human being, independent of their status as a citizen of a particular state.
- Scope and Function: The scope of human rights is wider than civil, political, and social-economic rights. They set the standards for the provision and expansion of these ordinary rights.
- Safety Net: When an individual's ordinary rights are exhausted (e.g., a foreigner, refugee, prisoner-of-war, or proclaimed offender), human rights continue to provide relief and protection.
- Moral Foundation: They constitute the source of all rights, embody the scheme of ideal rights, and provide the moral foundation for any system of rights, akin to the concept of justice.
- Reinterpretation of Ordinary Rights: When ordinary rights are reinterpreted in light of human rights, they expand human welfare (e.g., the right to life expanding to include uncontaminated land, clean air, and clean water).
- Enforcement: Like any other rights, human rights must be enforced by a state or an international tribunal. Claimants must be law-abiding and submit to law for appropriate justice.
Source visual reconstruction (Directional relationship):
- HUMAN BEING → Human Rights
- CITIZEN → Civil Rights, Political Rights, Social-Economic Rights
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Human Rights | Rights to which an individual is entitled by virtue of his status as a human being, which provide the moral foundation for all other rights and act as a safety net when ordinary rights are exhausted. |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Human rights are independent of citizenship status.
- They act as a safety net for vulnerable groups like refugees and prisoners-of-war who lack ordinary civil/political rights.
- Human rights set the standard for law, just as the concept of justice determines the principles of law.
Concept of Rights
The idea of rights is an essential tool for analyzing the relationship between the individual and the state. When the state is viewed as a means and the individual as the end, the state cannot possess absolute authority.
- Origin and Purpose: Rights belong to the sphere of conflicting claims between the individual and the state. They originate from…
This is a 350-word maximum preview. The complete chapter remains available only with the Political science plan.
Locked chapter
This chapter is part of the Political science plan
Subscribe to read every chapter on any device. Free chapters remain readable for everyone.
View plans Chapter 16 : Concept of Liberty