To What Extent Does the Recognition of Rights or an Emphasis on Rights Help or Hinder the Search for Progress and Social Justice?

“To what extent does the recognition of rights or an emphasis on rights help or hinder the search for progress and social justice?”

To answer this question I will first explore the concepts of Human Rights and their original intention. The growing indoctrination of human rights into society is undisputedly a step in the right direction. However, the effectiveness of these human rights are still questionable as evidenced by events such as the Rwandan and Darfur genocides, or the ‘war on terrorism’.
Three main pieces of legislation will be examined to understand the impact of rights on social progress and justice. These are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and finally the Human Rights Act 1998. I will discuss the issues presently facing Human Rights and consider the common misconceptions and critiques noted.   Then I will explore the reasons behind the focus and near obsession with individualism, and examine legislation, as it currently exists as well as the need for reform.
In conclusion I will present how the ECHR failed its predecessor, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, when it followed the political and civil provisions, while ignoring the social and economic values it presented and how this has prevented progress towards social justice.

Arising from the atrocities seen in World War Two, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represented hope for a new future. This was the start of modern global human rights and “civilized conduct” that applied to all states, and asserted the recognition of human dignity of all people, providing a foundation of justice and peace in the world. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10th 1948, it contains 30 articles relating to equality, life and security, personal freedom, and economic, social and cultural freedoms. While the declaration was never intended to be a legally binding treaty, it has exerted a significant legal and moral influence... [continues]

Read full essay