relative universalism of human rights

Question 1

human rights coming from the west

Answer 1

came not from western culture, BUT from the modern social/political/economic advancement. nothing in premodern western culture predisposed it to concept of human rights; frequent HR violations

Question 2

what makes HR universal

Answer 2

its the only proven effective means to maintain human dignity in societies dominated by markets and states- we all need protection from market economies and beaurcratic states

Question 3

overlapping consensus universality

Answer 3

the basic components of human rights (social practices that serve as the foundation of univ. human rights) are more and more widely accepted, so there’s overlapping areas of consensus around the globe

Question 4

voluntary consensus

Answer 4

the dec. of human rights is approximately what the ordinary citizen would probably come up with, given enough time/thougth

Question 5

3 problems w figuring out a moral foundation that has existed across time/space

Answer 5

1) failure to agree/come to consensus on a single code
2) human rights haven’t been a part of all moral doctrines, and it’s unlikely that an objectively right code has been interpreted incorrectly so frequently
3) given how diff moral doctrines have been, an ontologically universal doctrine suggests that almost all doctrines have been incorrect

Question 6

problems w substantive cultural relat.

Answer 6

1) reduces cultural moral codes to being valid only because they’re widely endorsed by the culture
2) assumption that indigenous cultural origins are morally valid assumes moral infallibility, ignores possibility of moral learning/change
3) allows for intolerance of OTHER cultures- a culture which has an intolerant set of values cannot be objected to
4) politics are confused w culture, so what ppl have been forced to endure are conflated w what they value
5) impact of social forces (states, colonialism, spread of HR ideas) ignored
6) cultural instability/nonhomogeneity ignored

Question 7

particularity and overlapping relative universality

Answer 7

since they’re just overlapping concepts (not specific rules), there’s lots of wiggle room for adjustments by culture