Debates About Rights (DP IB Global Politics: SL): Revision Note

Universalism

• Universalism is that all people deserve rights simply because they are human beings

  • It is a key concept underlying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

  • The rights in the UDHR apply to every human being on earth, with no exceptions

• The rights of the UDHR concern needs which apply to all people, including

  • The right to personal safety

  • Freedom of belief

  • Right to education

  • The right to work and earn fair wages

• Additionally, rights cannot be taken away by any actor, no matter how powerful, and a person cannot give up their rights

• Universalists argue that no matter where you live or your religion or culture, you have a right to a life of dignity

  • The UDHR is not in any way controversial or Western, because it applies to all

• Saying rights are not universal is dangerous, as powerful actors may pick and choose who is treated fairly and who is not

Cultural relativism

• Cultural relativists believe that humans should have rights but argue these rights may differ according to cultural norms

  • They oppose the idea of universalism

• Cultural relativists consider universalism to be a Western concept because the origins of human rights can be traced back through Western philosophical traditions

  • Some believe that the UDHR and other human rights laws and treaties are yet another way for powerful Western states to dominate globally

• Post-colonialist theory considers the world today to have been greatly altered by European colonial empires of the past

  • It agrees that Western powers continue to assert moral authority through the concept of universalism