The Philosophy of Human Rights

RATIONALE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

“All human beings are equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood…

“ …Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status” (Art. 1 and 2)

--Universal declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations

Scope of Human Rights

• Civil and Political Rights• Social, economic and cultural

rights• Basic rights

Constitutional provisions on Filipino’s rights to

equality

• The congress shall give priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all people to human dignity, reduce social, economic inequalities, remove cultural inequalities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good (section 1, Article 13)

Origins of the inequality of man

• Hobbes – “a man is wolf to man”• Social darwinist – “ survival of the fittest”• Rousseau – “ labor came as a means for the

realization of man’s perfection”• Marxist concept – “ private property is the

main cause of social inequality”

History of Human RightsFrench Declaration of

Human Rights in 1789

The American Declaration of

Independence 1776

The English Bill of rights

The Habeas Corpus act of 1679

English Petition Rights of 1628

English Magna Carta of 1215

SEXUAL RIGHTS

• Right to sexual freedom• Right to sexual privacy• Right to free and responsible reproductive

choices• Right to sexual information based on scientific

inquiry• Right to comprehensive sexuality education• Right to sexual health care