History of Universal Human Rights – up to WW2

Summary: The article charts the evolution of human
rights, arguing that they are essentially a
product of seventeenth and eighteenth
century European thought.

The web page charts the evolution of human rights, arguing that it is
essentially a product of seventeenth and eighteenth century European
thought. The author takes a chronological approach, starting with Roman
law and the moral codes of the world’s principal religions, moving on to the
natural laws proposed by philosophers like Hobbes and Locke. It also
covers the other great staging posts such as the English Bill of Rights,
1689, France and the US’s respective declarations of independence. The
article ends with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and
the proposition that what was once a European idea is now a universal
principle of good government.

See other human rights information on the href='http://www.universalrights.net'>
Universal Rights Network.Owner: Moira Rayner

Articles: 

Countries

    Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.