Human Rights

The evolution of the idea of human rights is closely associated with the growth of democracy. Initialy the focus was on the political and civil rights but gradually, in 20th century, the domain of human rights was extended to social and economic rights. The Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle postulated an Idealistic theory of state in which state was viewed as a moral institution essential and natural for the moral development of the individual.
The divine right theory of state was replaced by the social Contract theory, propounded by Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. This theory postulates that every man has certain inalienable rights by birth even before the origin of the state and which cannot be abrogated by any social and political institution. Locke stated that the state is created to protect these rights and if the state fails to protect them, people have the right to revolt against the state.
The Social Contract theory and the nation of natural rights had the profound impact on the evolution of democracy and constitutution rights of citizens. The Glorious Revolution of Britain in 1688 recognized the rights of people to elect their rulers. The American Declaration of Independence, 1776 asserted,"we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are equal." The French Revolution raised the slogans of 'liberty', 'equabity' and 'fraternity'. The French Declaration of Rights of Man,1789, claimed,"Man are born free and equal in respect of their rights." These ideals led to the expansion and deepening of liberal democracy along with rihts of man in different parts of the world.
In 19th Century, Karl Marx exposed the exploitative nature of capitalist order based on liberal democracy. In 20th century, democracy faced serious challenge from authoritative regimes of Germany and Italy supported by the ideologies of Nazism and Fascism respectively. In these countaries all traces of democratic rights of people were eliminated and the interests and ideologies fo the rulers became supreme. Many scholars claimed that the violation of basic rights of people was the main cause of war. It was in this background that Allied powers fought the World War II to make the world safe for democracy. The American President, Roosevelt declared in 1941 that the Four Freedoms - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear and freedom from want - are the prior conditions for the maintenance of international peace and security.
International Bill of Human Rights
Nature of Human Rights
Natural Rights Theory
The Principle of Reciprocity
Critiques of Human Rights