The Idea and the Documents of Human Rights

The most significant achievement of 20th century is, probably, the importance ascribed to the idea of human rights. Perhaps the most significant endeavour of the world community in the second half of this century is its attempt to codify these ethical demands in declarations, covenants, and similar instruments expected to have universal validity. Yet besides the unscrupulous violence, torture, and social injustice which continue to prevail in our world, we also see gaining more and more ground tendencies to promote demands and practices which constitute unnoticed obstacles to the protection of human rights. Is it not the so-called "herd immunity," as a way to fight against a pandemic, a violation of the right to life? What are our shortcomings? The present volume is an attempt to bring into focus one of these shortcomings: the lack of clear knowledge of what human rights are.