As Michael Ignatieff has pointed out, human rights have all too often
become a sort of religion unto themselves, more of an idolatry than
a rational ethical principle.
Politicians and activists alike frequently wave the banner of human
rights in order to rally support for a pet cause. The mere mention of
human rights is often enough to win our sympathies without our
having examined what’s really at stake in a given situation.
In order for human rights to be effective, and in order to keep them
from being highjacked for causes which have little or nothing to do
with rights, we need to have at least a working grasp of the
philosophies behind them.
We need to know why we, philosophically, believe in rights,
because this will help us define our rights. It will make it easier for
us to spot violations when we’re faced with new situations because
of technological advances or changing social-political panoramas.
We also need to know why friends and opponents alike believe in
rights, because that will make it easier to find common ground, to
clarify where a dispute lies, and to keep our guard up against those
who simply play on our dedication.
The many philosophies which have provided grounds for human
rights are often complex and daunting. But that doesn’t mean they
need to be. Human rights, and the philosophies behind them,
should be easily understood by the layman, or they lose a great
deal of their power and appeal. The RPF is dedicated to the double
goal of furthering the discussion of rights philosophy, and helping
to make that discussion as accessible as possible for everyone.
Ignatieff, Michael. Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry. Princeton:
Princeton UP, 2001.
