universal rights

[elilen]

can anyone tell me what they think of the idea of having universal rights or a universal standard for morality or such?

any insight would be helpful, and thanks in advance!

 

[shark`]

I think there is a universal knowledge of the basic "right"s and "wrong"s-- but I also believe civilization has a huge role in shaping this naturally unawakened part of us. If uncultivated, say, left to our own devices in the wilderness from birth to adulthood, I truly doubt we'd have reservations about doing things typically viewed as immoral or wrong. Think Lord of the Flies.

I suppose it's all a matter of oppinion, but I'd say as for a universal standard of morality, it takes some kind of civilization to shape it, a culture, a social standard-- but that it's deep within all of us, dormant, even without civilization to shape and nurture it.

 

[bluecherry]

I also do hold that there are a certain number of universal human rights. 3nodding I think you really can argue for them rationally and not come down to saying "it's all subjective." As has been said though, many beliefs of right and wrong have typically through time been highly influenced by the societies surrounding individuals. It's true that the "being raised without human contact" situation has been documented to show that what have been called "feral children" result, where the children act generally like wild animals and nothing more. The longer the children are left to grow up without human contact the less able they are to adapt to human civilization and learn when they are found and brought in. I'd like bring up though that humans are the only creature we've been able to find so far with enough of a capacity for intelligence to even be able to develop the concept of morality. Considering that for as many differences as people can and do have, we've got more things alike then different when you get down to it and are the only things to have a morality system, I think that should be a little evidence for why it should be possible for a universal system of human rights to exist. There are certain things which would be proper for all humans to have and operate upon. Examen how well off a people are that are deprived of any given human right and you'll typically find that that lacking right has been fundamentally detrimental to them, physically, mentally, or both.

 

[Aki Norikaeru]

We were, at one time, like the children in Lord of the Flies, and we have gotten here. You can take that as some proof that there is a universal code of morals, it just isn't demanded of us to follow these codes.