University of California San Diego Debate Between Universalism and Relativism in Human Rights

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whawvrm6

Humanities

University of California San Diego

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Pick any ONE of these questions to answer:(3-4pages)

  1. In what ways did empathy develop in the 17th and 18th centuries? What are the similarities and differences to the way media, campaigns, etc. evoke empathy about human rights issues now?
  2. What role did World War II play in the development of human rights? (Hint: Include any significant documents, atrocities, and how those atrocities were addressed).
  3. What do the struggles of African Americans in the U.S. in the 1940s reveal about the U.S.’ commitment to human rights?
  4. What is the debate between universalism and relativism in human rights? How do universalism and relativism play out in the context of debate around the French burkini ban?
  5. In what ways can transnational support for human rights claims help a local cause, and in what ways can it harm a local cause? Discuss at least one example of each possibility (minimum two examples overall).
  6. What does it mean to say that human rights are socially constructed? Why do they need to be socially constructed, and how? Use at least 2 illustrative examples.
  7. OPTIONAL: Any news stories/ other real world examples that support your essay. Please use these sources only in addition to, not instead of, the course material.

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Debate between Universalism and Relativism in Human Rights
As noted by Ishay, one of the largely debated topics within the human rights community
is on universalism and relativism of human rights (4). Universalism is the perception that human
rights are natural and universal and that they are applicable to all human beings. On the other
hand, cultural relativism is a notion that human rights are dependent on specific cultures and
there is no moral principle that is applicable to all cultures. Cultural relativists argue that
universal rights originated from West. As such, relativism have the argument that the Western
values are considerably associated with political and individual civil rights, while people in
underdeveloped nations emphasize human rights that are linked to the groups welfare in line with
their religious and cultural traditions (Ishay 11). The cultural relativists thus have the assumption
that the attempt of universalism is to extend the Western ideal to the rest of the globe, in the form
of cultural imperialism. More than this, the cultural relativists point out the 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a document that undermines the cultural differences
that are available among...


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