Human Rights: Evolution And Devolution

Abstract

The concept of human rights is over three millennia old. The oldest document listed three specific rights: physical liberty, shelter, and life. By the present time, many more have been added through various countries’ legal systems and important historical documents. Probably the most comprehensive such document is the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although not all-inclusive in terms of incorporating all the human rights proposed by previous documents, the broad acceptance of the Declaration as a model for human rights observance has constituted a hopeful sign. Unfortunately, the protection of human rights has been in a decline for some recent years. Examples and social forces leading to this decline are examined.