POLS 1000 Lecture Notes - Walmart, Bourgeoisie, The Symbolic
15 Apr 2013
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Understand nothing about human rights if we don"t ask who are the bearers of human rights. According to those who thought of human rights the first time thought human autonomy: the bearer of human rights is the autonomous human, the human capable of reasoning and making decisions, no longer dependant on transcendent beings. Practically, when the french decided to proclaim their rights and freedom, they didn"t ask permission from the church: simply said we will give ourselves our rights. Legitimacy therefore is confirmed not by god, but by human themselves. This idea that idea that kant calls the entrance into maturity of humanity represents an important break with what comes before the french revolution. This important break that we are autonomous beings is a fundamental component of the modern project. For the political critique (conservative critique) of human rights all of the above, is absurd and dangerous.
