Core Human Rights Concepts and Contemporary Ethical Debates
Key Characteristics of Human Rights
Natural Rights
Human rights, framed as natural rights, transcend the boundaries of specific laws, customs, or cultural beliefs. Unlike legal rights, they are not contingent on the recognition of any particular authority. Instead, they are often rooted in scriptural, religious teachings, philosophical principles, or what is commonly referred to as “common sense.” This implies that human beings possess inherent rights by virtue of their humanity.
Inviolable
The term
Read MoreThomas Aquinas: Core Philosophical and Theological Concepts
Theology and Philosophy: Faith and Reason
Contrary to the theory advocated by some Averroists, Thomas Aquinas (TA) posits that there are truths specific to faith (theology), others specific to reason (philosophy), and some shared by both (preambles of faith, such as the existence of God). There can be no contradiction between these two forms of wisdom. In the event of an apparent conflict, faith must prevail as it originates from God’s revelation. Therefore, philosophy is considered the handmaid
Read MoreMaking Win-Win Decisions: A Step-by-Step Process
How to Make Win-Win Decisions
Teachability: Are You Ready to Learn?
Are you teachable?
- Willingness to learn and do things differently.
- Willingness to accept change and do things differently.
- What are you willing to give up?
- What are you willing to invest in time and money?
Be Aware: Understanding Your Inner Self
- Of your belief systems.
- Of your predominant mental attitude.
- Of your focus.
- Of your thoughts that lead to action.
- That your outer life is the effect and your inner life the cause.
Before Making a Decision:
Read MorePlato: Life, Philosophy, and Impact on Justice
Plato (427-347 BC): A Philosophical Journey
Early Disillusionment: Plato’s initial hopes in aristocracy and Athenian democracy were dashed. He witnessed political turmoil, including the Tyranny of the Thirty, in which Charmides and Critias invited him to participate. Plato missed the previous political order. The fall of the tyranny briefly renewed his hopes, but he was soon disillusioned again when the restored democracy condemned his teacher, Socrates, to death for impiety.
Travels and the Founding
Read MoreAristotle’s Core Philosophical Concepts
Aristotle’s Method: Logic and Syllogism
Aristotle was a methodical thinker. He argued that most philosophical problems arise from the absence of method. This includes a method for designating everything with its proper name and a method for correctly using these names in arguments. Aristotle identified four basic types of judgments:
- Affirmative
- Negative
- Universal
- Particular
A combination of judgments sharing a common term (middle term) can often lead to a conclusion connecting the terms of the initial
Read MoreHuman Dignity as the Foundation of Ethics and Rights
Human Dignity
According to Kant, what characterizes a human being from a moral perspective is their dignity. It undermines those who use a human being merely as a means or a tool. A person must always be treated as an end in themselves. They have value but are priceless; therefore, they cannot be bought. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states: “freedom, justice, and peace are universally desirable values, which depend on recognition of the inherent dignity… of all members of the
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