STEP TWO: Understanding Human Rights

Different people have different ideas about human rights. These ideas are referred to as "Schools of Thought."

Some might think human rights are simple and obvious because they are based on reason. However, in reality, not everyone agrees on what human rights truly mean.

Experts who study human rights often fall into four groups:

1. Natural Scholars: They believe human rights are something people naturally have.

2. Deliberative Scholars: They think human rights are decided by people agreeing on them.

3. Protest Scholars: They see human rights as something people have to fight for.

4. Discourse Scholars: They believe human rights are shaped by how people talk about them.

These four groups represent different ways of thinking about human rights. By understanding these viewpoints, we can see why people sometimes agree or disagree about what human rights mean. This helps us understand the many ideas and arguments in the human rights field.

THE "SCHOOLS" IN A NUTSHELL

Introducing Each School

The natural school of thought has one of the most well-known ideas about human rights: the belief that people have rights simply because they are human. These rights are seen as something everyone is born with, not something given or earned.

Natural scholars view human rights as basic and unchanging. They often describe these rights as "negative rights," which means they protect people by stopping others (like the government) from interfering with their freedom. For example, a negative right might be the right to not be harmed or unfairly controlled by others.

NOTE: While the term "school" might sound like it only applies to scholars, many everyday people also share this way of thinking about human rights. This perspective highlights the idea that human rights are universal and absolute, belonging to everyone just because they are human.

The Natural School

• Believes human rights come from "nature," which could mean God, the universe, or reason.

• Thinks these rights are universal and exist for everyone, even if society doesn’t officially recognize them.

• Welcomes laws that protect human rights but sees these rights as existing independently of laws.

• This school has traditionally been at the center of human rights thinking.

The Deliberative School

• Views human rights as values created through agreements in society.

• Believes human rights come from people deciding together what is fair and just.

• Hopes human rights will one day be universal but knows this will take time and global cooperation.

• Focuses on using human rights in political and legal systems, like constitutions, rather than every part of life.

The Protest School

• Focuses on fighting injustice and supporting the poor, unprivileged, and oppressed.

• Sees human rights as demands made to challenge unfair systems and fight for change.

• Believes the struggle for human rights never ends as new injustices always arise.

• Is cautious about human rights laws, fearing they might favor powerful elites instead of truly helping those in need.

The Discourse School

• Believes human rights only exist because people talk about them.

• Does not think human rights are "natural" or the perfect solution to the world’s problems.

• Recognizes that human rights language is powerful for making political arguments.

• Cautions against forcing human rights on others and questions if focusing on individual rights is always the best approach.

• Some see value in human rights discussions but wish for better ideas to improve the world.

Each of these schools looks at human rights differently, but they all contribute to understanding how human rights can be used to make the world a fairer place.

Mapping Different Views of Human Rights

People think about human rights in different ways. These ideas don't always fit into clear categories, and even people with similar views may not agree on everything. However, grouping these ideas into four main "schools of thought" to understand how they overlap and differ.