Human rights: what is behind this expression?

There’s a lot of talk about human rights. To see the variety of thoughts that revolves around the concept in question, all you need to do is take a walk down the street, stop people and ask what they mean by human rights.

In spite of this, you can still find some fixed points. First of all, it is necessary to remember that when we talk about human rights, we are based on the concept of respect for the individual. The premise to all this concerns the fact that, on a general level, every human being is a rational person who deserves to be treated with humanity and recognised in his or her uniqueness.

Human rights, by definition, are universal. They belong to people simply because they are Let us imagine for a moment that we find ourselves again performing the experiment mentioned above and asking people what human rights mean to them. Surely someone will answer by referring to freedom of speech or freedom of worship.

What do people know about human rights?

Let us imagine for a moment that we find ourselves again performing the experiment mentioned above and asking people what human rights mean to them. Surely someone will answer by referring to freedom of speech or freedom of worship.

This is true, but we must not forget the importance of going further. In fact, other aspects must also be included in the list of human rights. What exactly? The possibility to have a job, to choose it, to grow professionally on the basis of one’s aspirations.

Obviously the field can be extended even further and touch personal life, with the possibility of raising one’s own children without pressure from anyone and without encountering disabling difficulties from the economic point of view.

The watershed for the history of human rights was undoubtedly the Second World War. When we speak of history as magistra vitae it is impossible not to call this conflict into question, whose dramatic consequences led us to reflect on our human value and how to preserve it over time, creating international regulations to protect human rights as such.

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