The Meaning of Human Rights

Examines the various aspects concerning the topic of human rights.

This paper discusses the issue of human rights in terms of one’s right to dignity, one’s right to equal protection and opportunity, and one’s right to die. The paper attempts to demonstrate that human rights should and must be considered from an objective perspective and cannot be defined subjectively or within the cultural norms of a given society.
Human rights are important because they serve to achieve a certain level of human dignity. But what does one mean by the term human rights? Human beings have an inherent value simply by virtue of being human. One generally treats something of value with respect and holds it in esteem. Simply, human rights dictate a basic treatment to which every human has the right. Dignity is the outward emanation of self-pride, self- love, and self-regard. It bespeaks a consideration of place in the universe. Dignity involves one’s views of right and wrong relative to one’s actions and the actions of others. Human rights help a person achieve a certain level of self-value. Human rights and dignity go hand in hand.