HISTORY 3XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Lynn Hunt, Fetus, Cultural Relativism

• School: McMaster University
• Department: History
• Course: HISTORY 3XX3
• Professor: Asa Mc Kercher

Document Summary

The te(cid:396)(cid:373) (cid:862)hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) (cid:396)ights(cid:863) has(cid:374)"t (cid:272)o(cid:373)e up i(cid:374) (cid:449)(cid:396)iti(cid:374)g u(cid:374)til (cid:1005)9(cid:1008)(cid:1004)s. The idea that people claim to be human, but act to deny other people human rights. By the very fact that we are human beings, gives us rights. Claims made by individuals for basic dignity and equality. Our humanity is the source of our claim. Rights are a dominant normative and moral discourse in political life globally. All individuals deserve rights simply by virtue of being human. Lynn hunt, inventing human rights (2007) (cid:862)rights (cid:396)e(cid:373)ai(cid:374) ope(cid:374) to (cid:395)uestio(cid:374) (cid:271)e(cid:272)ause of ou(cid:396) se(cid:374)se of (cid:449)ho has (cid:396)ights a(cid:374)d (cid:449)hat those (cid:396)ights a(cid:396)e (cid:272)o(cid:374)sta(cid:374)tly (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ges. The hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) (cid:396)ights (cid:396)e(cid:448)olutio(cid:374) is (cid:271)y defi(cid:374)itio(cid:374) u(cid:374)e(cid:374)di(cid:374)g. (cid:863) To take a(cid:449)ay (cid:271)asi(cid:272) hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) dig(cid:374)ity is to de(cid:374)y a(cid:374) i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual"s hu(cid:373)a(cid:374)ity, (cid:271)ut . We cannot earn them i(cid:374)deed, (cid:449)e do(cid:374)"t (cid:374)eed to ea(cid:396)(cid:374) the(cid:373) we simply have them. Individuals are at the centre of human rights. Go(cid:448)e(cid:396)(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)ts (cid:271)ea(cid:396) a duty to uphold i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual"s (cid:396)ights.