PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN RIGHTS
PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Summary/Abstract: This article deals with a philosophical and partly theological basis of human rights. Human rights are certain moral guarantees that have a long historical heritage. There are basically two different approaches to philosophical foundations of the notion of human rights: either they are inherently present as objective moral obligations of the natural law which should be respected by the state, or they are subjectively and arbitrarily imposed by the state who determines the legal obligations in the society. Both approaches have been criticized or justified, and the main criticism comes from Marxists who claim that traditional definitions of human rights should be rejected as the „safe distance“ play is always presupposed. Genuine Christian world-view defines human rights on the basis of universal concept of human dignity and sacredness of every individual that transcends ’safe distance’ approach and avoids any kind of segregation and distrustful approach of any formal religion or the state. This calls for sincere conversion to Christ whose openness to all human beings represents the only sure way of respect of human rights.

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