The Question of Universal Human Rights

Bilder argues that until we can ____________ international human rights, there will be ________ _________ in the international community actually intervening

Ex. Volker Turk, UN Human Rights Chief, saying on CBC News on Sept 27, 2025 that human rights are not wokeism and are not political/up for debate

Bilder argues that until we can DEPOLITICIZE international human rights, there will be LITTLE MOVEMENT in the international community actually intervening

International human rights & intervention is all about _________ & _________ ___________ than actually caring about human rights

International human rights & intervention is all about POLITICS & DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS than actually caring about human rights

The question of can human rights ever truly be ________ & __________ is about applying ideas about human rights in a way that is applicable and consistent across different ___________ & ________ systems

The question of can human rights ever truly be UNIVERSAL & PLURALISTIC is about applying ideas about human rights in a way that is applicable and consistent across different CULTURAL & LEGAL systems

The foundation of human rights is based on how human rights is ___________

The foundation of human rights is based on how human rights is DEFINED

The justification of human rights depends on whether they are __________, __________, or ________ justifications

The justification of human rights depends on whether they are INDIVIDUAL, COLLECTIVE, or LEGAL justifications

Fundamental rights refers to _________ & ___________ protection of rights, ________ values, & the rights of individuals as members of a __________ community

Ex. Fundamental rights are rights that we have in Canada through the Charter, are relative to our particular national circumstances, & give validity to our particular legal system, such as the Social Contract

Fundamental rights refers to RELATIVITY & INTERNAL protection of rights, CULTURAL values, & the rights of individuals as members of a POLITICAL community

Human rights is based on ___________, requirements of ________ _________, & external _______ & ________ protection of rights

Human rights is based on UNIVERSALITY, requirements of POLITICAL MORALITY, & external LEGAL & ETHICAL protection of rights

Normative Philosophy refers to ____________ rights by way of being ___________ & __________ principles of ________ & ________

Normative Philosophy refers to FUNDAMENTAL rights by way of being HUMAN & UNIVERSAL principles of JUSTICE & OBLIGATION

Positivism & Legal Theory refer to the idea of human rights being a _________ concept & the ________ __________ of rights

Positivism & Legal Theory refer to the idea of human rights being a MODERN concept & the LEGAL FORMALIZATION of rights

Positivism & Normative Legal Theory argue that the legal _____________ of rights should adhere to certain standards of _________

Positivism & Normative Legal Theory argue that the legal FORMALIZATION of rights should adhere to certain standards of MORALITY

Normative Philosophy is how everyone in the world has a normative __________ to be ___________ because they have a fundamental right of just being human

Normative Philosophy is how everyone in the world has a normative RIGHT to be PROTECTED because they have a fundamental right of just being human

Natural law back then talked about ___________ ideas around what is _________ versus _________

Natural law back then talked about UNIVERSAL ideas around what is GOOD versus BAD

Plato argued that if everyone is taken care of ___________ & __________ in terms of the human body, society would be ___________

Plato argued that if everyone is taken care of PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY in terms of the human body, society would be PEACEFUL

Aristotle argued that every human being was ________ with _________ and has to be taken care of because they have __________

Aristotle argued that every human being was BORN with PURPOSE and has to be taken care of because they have PURPOSE

Christian revisions of natural law are human laws that mirror __________ __________, such as the idea of ________ telling us what is right versus wrong

Christian revisions of natural law are human laws that mirror CHRISTIAN MORALITY, such as the idea of GOD telling us what is right versus wrong

Aquinas came up with 4 types of law, which included eternal law, __________ law, divine law, & _________ law

Aquinas came up with 4 types of law, which included eternal law, NATURAL law, divine law, & HUMAN law

Eternal law is ______ tells us what is ________ versus ________

Eternal law is GOD tells us what is RIGHT versus WRONG

Natural law is how humans take the info of ________, _______ about it, & make sure they follow _______

Natural law is how humans take the info of GOD, LEARN about it, & make sure they follow GOD

Divine law is ___________ that humans have access to & they must follow the laws on these _________

Divine law is SCRIPTURES that humans have access to & they must follow the laws on these SCRIPTURES

Human law is ways that we _________ people in society & how we adopt _______ law in main society

Human law is ways that we POLICE people in society & how we adopt ETERNAL law in main society

The Enlightenment Era moved away from right versus wrong & transitioned into _________, __________ reasoning & the idea that people broke the law, not about their moral behaviour

The Enlightenment Era moved away from right versus wrong & transitioned into OBJECTIVE, RATIONAL reasoning & the idea that people broke the law, not about their moral behaviour

Hobbes argued that society without law & order becomes __________ & __________

Hobbes argued that society without law & order becomes NASTY & BRUTISH

Legal positivism argued that we need __________ ________ & ______ of _______ where everyone is deemed ________

Legal positivism argued that we need EMPIRICAL METHODS & RULE of LAW where everyone is deemed EQUAL

Empiricism says the law is the law, where it must be _________ & empirical and punishments have to be _______________ and _________

Empiricism says the law is the law, where it must be POSITIVIST & empirical and punishments have to be APPROPRIATE and ENFORCED

Hermeneutic methods are ____________ ideas of how do we come to _________ what we _________

Ex. Judge wanting to know why someone committed the crime they did

Hermeneutic methods are SUBJECTIVE ideas of how do we come to KNOW what we KNOW

Kant is an Enlightenment Era philosopher who argued that _________ is __________ and that when we engage in _________ & objective _________, we are also adopting a sense of __________ in doing so

Kant is an Enlightenment Era philosopher who argued that REASON is MORALITY and that when we engage in REASON & objective THINKING, we are also adopting a sense of MORALITY in doing so

Categorical imperatives are ____________ situations that guide the idea of _________ rights, but in a way that rejects ________ law thinking

Categorical imperatives are HYPOTHETICAL situations that guide the idea of UNIVERSAL rights, but in a way that rejects NATURAL law thinking

Kant’s Doctrine of Virtue says that being a good person means ___________ to do the _________ thing because you know it’s your _______, not because of ________ or feelings, it’s about having ________ strength to follow ________ ________ and respect yourself & others

Kant’s Doctrine of Virtue says that being a good person means CHOOSING to do the RIGHT thing because you know it’s your DUTY, not because of REWARDS or feelings, it’s about having INNER strength to follow MORAL RULES and respect yourself & others

Kant’s Doctrine of Right says that justice is about creating laws that lets everyone have _________ without ______ ________ anyone else’s _________, and it’s the __________ job to _________ those rights so people can live together peacefully 

Kant’s Doctrine of Right says that justice is about creating laws that lets everyone have FREEDOM without TAKING AWAY anyone else’s FREEDOM, and it’s the GOVERNMENT’S job to PROTECT those rights so people can live together peacefully 

Rawls created 8 principles of the Law of Peoples that detailed ________ _________ ________ with _________, where sometimes laws are __________, so look at what is virtuous & justifiable as a universal principle

Ex. Peoples, meaning different groups in society, must honour human rights

Rawls created 8 principles of the Law of Peoples that detailed UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS with LIMITS, where sometimes laws are IMMORAL, so look at what is virtuous & justifiable as a universal principle

Habermas argued that legal ____________ is a _________ process & that universal human rights must be situated in ___________ rights & freedoms, & there has to be __________ ________ & communicative ________

Habermas argued that legal FORMALIZATION is a DISCURSIVE process & that universal human rights must be situated in DEMOCRATIC rights & freedoms, & there has to be RATIONAL CONSENSUS & communicative ACTION

Normative philosophies of human rights argue the ________ of _________ should always be growing, where we must continue making human rights more __________

Normative philosophies of human rights argue the SCOPE of EXTENSION should always be growing, where we must continue making human rights more UNIVERSAL

Cultural relativism says everyone is equally entitled to respect & to respect a person entails respect for their _________ because it constitutes part of that person’s ___________

Cultural relativism says everyone is equally entitled to respect & to respect a person entails respect for their CULTURE because it constitutes part of that person’s IDENTITY

Pluralism emphasizes respectful ___________ of diverse groups, where it allows for intervention, but places _________ based on respectful dialogue, taking into account _________ _________, & if there’s gross violations, we can draw ____________ law to intervene

Pluralism emphasizes respectful COEXISTENCE of diverse groups, where it allows for intervention, but places LIMITS based on respectful dialogue, taking into account HISTORICAL CONTEXT, & if there’s gross violations, we can draw INTERNATIONAL law to intervene

Pure cultural relativism argues that if there’s ________ ___________ for violating human rights, the international community cannot intervene because that culture doesn’t ___________ they are violating human rights

Pure cultural relativism argues that if there’s CULTURAL JUSTIFICATION for violating human rights, the international community cannot intervene because that culture doesn’t BELIEVE they are violating human rights

Universal human rights should challenge _________ countries to understand human rights from non-__________ perspectives

Universal human rights should challenge WESTERN countries to understand human rights from non-WESTERN perspectives