Human rights/Tutorials

Meanings of "human rights"

The term human rights is nowadays applied to a concept that emerged in the 17th century, which differed from earlier human rights concepts in the implication that it should apply to every human being, regardless of nationality, sex or age. The term is thus interpreted as synonymous with the more precise formulation "universal human rights". The term is used to refer to one of two mental constructs:
- an ethical construct denoting entitlements that are deemed to be rightfully inherent in the existence of every human being, and whose rightful existence is deemed to be independent of other considerations; or,
- a social construct denoting entitlements that are to be conferred upon individuals by the community and which are to be subject to socially-determined limitations that include those arising from conflicts of interest with other individuals.