Some human rights ideas can be traced back to the earliest times in cultures, political systems, and religions all over the world. This includes e.g. the principles of justice, fairness, and protection, which restricted the ruler by law, and protected vulnerable groups as women and children and maybe even slaves against mistreatment and worked for corruption free legal decisions.

These ancient laws however, was not equal to modern day human rights. They were not universal, as they were only valid to a certain state or society, and not humanity as a whole. They were not equal as the ruler, the citizen and for example a slave did not have the same rights. Moreover, much of the modern human rights are completely lacking in ancient laws as e.g. freedom of opinion and the prohibition of torture.

Over time certain ideas has been blossoming. For example the idea of an inherent dignity of human beings are found in the major beliefs of Jewish faith, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism in 200 BC, and the idea of equality in the Greek philosophy in the 3rd century BC.

The idea of peoples representation also existed in Greek city states such as Athens but then disappeared. From the 12th century, small parliaments again flourished in e.g. Scotland, Poland, and Paris. In 1215 the English Magna Carta formed a contract between the monarch and the (well-off) citizens who formed a parliament. Moreover, Magna Carta presents the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice, and a fair trial. 

Modifié le: mercredi, 18 août 2021, 08:31