Human Rights: From an Alternative Viewpoint

Abstract

The historical progression of the idea of ‘Rights’ and ‘Citizenship’ are embedded in a narrative, which postures itself as a Universalist in nature. The role of ‘State’ in such a narrative account cannot be over-stressed. The concept of ‘Rights’ in such a context comes across as an act of dispensation. Dispensation of ‘Justice’, such an account and its discussion problematises the almost universally accepted notions regarding ‘Human Rights’. In order to do so, some of the major epistemological shifts are identified to analyze the ‘accepted’ continuum of human thought and behaviour which are universal in nature. It would be useful here to question the ‘universal’ tenor of this kind of exercise in modern social science theories where nature has been ‘pushed’ in to the periphery. The MDG envisioned, must overcome this academic and practical resistance to identify the crux of international relation.