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Menseregte en menswaardigheid
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship/Bulletin vir Christelike Wetenskap | Vol 70, No 3 | a279 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/koers.v70i3.279
| © 2005 J.D. van der Vyver
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 31 July 2005 | Published: 31 July 2005
Submitted: 31 July 2005 | Published: 31 July 2005
About the author(s)
J.D. van der Vyver, Departement Internasionale Reg en Menseregte, Emory Universiteit, Atlanta, United StatesFull Text:
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Human rights and human dignity
The concept of human rights includes a variety of entitlements which are commonly subdivided into natural rights of the individual, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and solidarity rights. It has come to be generally accepted that human rights are based on the principle of human dignity. However, there are instances where human dignity is not recognised as the basic norm of a bill of rights (for example in the USA), and from a Christian perspective human dignity does not represent the core element of being human. Dooyeweerd described the human person as above all being endowed par excellence with religiosity, while Timothy Jackson singled out “sanctity” as the most fundamental basis of human rights protection. This contribution focuses on the need for a Scriptural foundation of human rights.
The concept of human rights includes a variety of entitlements which are commonly subdivided into natural rights of the individual, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and solidarity rights. It has come to be generally accepted that human rights are based on the principle of human dignity. However, there are instances where human dignity is not recognised as the basic norm of a bill of rights (for example in the USA), and from a Christian perspective human dignity does not represent the core element of being human. Dooyeweerd described the human person as above all being endowed par excellence with religiosity, while Timothy Jackson singled out “sanctity” as the most fundamental basis of human rights protection. This contribution focuses on the need for a Scriptural foundation of human rights.
Keywords
Civil And Political Rights; Dignity; Economic, Social And Cultural Rights; Human Rights; Natural Rights; Ontic Right; Religiosity; Sanctity; Solidarity Rights
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