Human Rights and Their Role in Public Opinion Making

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The concept of humanism
Human rights movement
Democratization process
Conclusion
Bibliography
Footnotes

Introduction

The quest for human rights create a mental picture that draws the audience’s assumed knowledge of the need to end the restrictions of human beings in their endeavor to reach out to greatness in life. The trepidations of colonization, slave trade, apartheid, totalitarianism, and torture designate this horrific epoch.¹ The principle revolves around tacit acceptance of humanity in their absoluteness and not by sheer endorsement of bespoken institutions that plunder men of their freedoms. The metamorphosis of human rights has been rapid for a long time, yet profound especially in bringing socio-economic and political changes in history.²

The concept of humanism

Memoirs often offer that the humanism of Renaissance revived the European intellectual history, hence giving rise to the rebirth or resurgence as the classical sphere against which humanist viewpoint is beholden. The humanist philosophy seen from these lenses, hold that the dignity of humanity – dignitas hominis is second to nothing.³ Through these assumptions, the humanist consciousness shifted its initial emphasis from logic and theological thinking to specifically that of a human course. In pursuit of these endeavors, historians literally argue that humanism succinctly set the course of human rights and further flagged off the contemporary secular world into motion.

Revolutions in Europe and the American Declaration of Independence

The concept of dignitas hominis or dignity of human beings in the classical Roman thinking essentially sought to augment human status.⁴ The concept held that an individual who was worthy of honor must be accorded respect and honor given their specific status in the society⁵. Observers of the ancient human course reckon that the term signifies worthiness, whose outward aspect is to an individual’s social role, which in turn evokes respect, and exemplifies the personality of an individual.

The impacts of the Tudor-Stuart polices coupled with the Normans and the heavy disparities experienced by the Irish as a consequence of the 1800 Act of Union, have made them to leave a landmark legacy that has persisted and withered the taste of time.⁶ The Lafayette text impeccably motivated by the American Declaration of Independence of 1776, was a great success and its reference to other French traditional archives such as the 1852, 1946 and 1958 constitution amendments.⁷ The representatives of the French populations forwarded these propositions in the belief that neglect, ignorance, and contempt of the rights of humanity are the foremost forms of public concerns that continued to bedevil the state.

Human rights movement

Human rights as a concept thrived under several concepts before the reigns of King John Lackland of England. For some reason, Lackland violated the laws and customs that governed England and he was compelled to sign the Magna Carta (the Great Charter) in 1215.⁸ The Magna Carta was a binding document that sought to ensure the King followed the laws of the land while guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of his subjects against his wishes. These ancient developments were the offshoot of the chronicles of the human right movements in history. The then society’s religious mentality is perhaps among the most referenced mindsets in the ancient international diplomatic ties in the continental Europe.

During the 15^th and 16^th centuries, the growth of the human right movement was at the epicenter of great contention in international media. There were interruptions from policy makers of the time that feared the force with which the human rights literature was receiving acceptance. The state saw this activism artistry as a great encumbrance to policy making and for some time, it became hard to govern against the whims of the humanitarian think tank.⁹ Because of these, there followed a thorough and comprehensive purge on the existing and sprouting movements.

The quest for human rights

The quest for human rights creates a mental picture that draws the audience’s assumed knowledge of human beings as horrific entities judging from acts of history that caused and continues to cause unprecedented human sufferings such as colonization, slave trade, apartheid, torture, and abortion.

Moving forward

In the years following the Second World War, the world turned its focus from the contest between democracy and totalitarianism to emerging threats such as the global balance of power¹⁰. The power vacuum in the years following the postwar history greatly troubled the United States, especially in the oil opulent and war ravaged Middle East. In the 1960s, much of the Middle East was a deep preoccupation and this was mainly because its inclination to communistic thinking.¹¹ The foundations of the Truman Doctrine were premised on the justification of the theory that Communism thrived on sheer determination to destabilize world economy.¹²

The centrality of the Truman Doctrine to human rights

The Truman Doctrine promulgated a noble policy that meant to support free people who were subdued by armed dynasties or external aggression. President Truman however, observed that the aid America was volunteering would be in handy, yet in the form of fiscal aid given that economic strength and organized political structures were the foundations of stability, which essentially was after all, what the newly independent nations yearned for.¹³

Democratization process

The word democracy emanates from two Greek terms ‘demos’ meaning the people while ‘Kratos’ refers to a form of Aristocracy denoting a leadership that is decided upon by the people.¹⁴ In the American context, democracy refers to a people chosen government, a concept of governance that cannot subjugate its people. Democracy by any means is the preserve of an equal opportunity society where everyone has a say in the concept and nature of governance.

As a concept in public opinion making, democracy makes sovereignty worth its while.¹⁵ The logic of civic competence and the drive to have an impact in the concept of political life and shape the democratic process of a people delves essentially on the ability to grasp the political tenets that defines a people.¹⁶ Elements such as the logic of civic participation are essential ideals of democracy that are instrumental in public opinion and decision-making. Clearly, high levels of self-expression, values, and political participation are essential for a healthy public opinion making today.

Conclusion

Societal ethics as explored in the traditions of old parochial societies and embedded in the origins of the agreeable social relations and attitudes cherished by the society have brought humanity this far. The interplay between human rights and public policy making relationships usually express themselves in the patterns or forms of behavior that the society considers to bring about ethical symbiosis between its key cogs. In the past, these prototypes were stipulated in the decorum of the customs of the day, and were idealized, analyzed, and inferred upon the people by the moral thinking standards of the time. However, with increased democratization of the society and enhanced acceptance of human rights, everyone has the right to influence public opinion and policymaking.

Bibliography

Albertone, Manuela. Rethinking the Atlantic World: Europe and America in the Age of Democratic Revolutions. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Web.

Barratt, Bethany. Public Opinion & International Intervention Lessons from the Iraq War. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2012. Web.

Bostdorff, Denise. Proclaiming the Truman Doctrine: The Cold War Call to Arms. Texas: A & M UP, 2008. Web.

Copsey, Nathaniel. Public Opinion and the Making of Foreign Policy in the ‘new Europe’ a Comparative Study of Poland and Ukraine. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009. Web.

Gill, Graeme. The Dynamics of Democratization: Elites, Civil Society, and the Transition Process. New York: St. Martin’s, 2000. Web.

Hiram, Morgan. An introduction to the study of political ideas in early modern Ireland. London: Routledge, 1998. Web.

Ishay, Michelin. The History of human rights: From ancient times to globalization era. California: University of California Press, 2004. Web.

Kurtz, Paul. What Is Secular Humanism?. New York: Prometheus Books, 2007. Web.

McLynn, Frank. Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John and the Wars of Conquest. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006. Web.

Singh, Ujjwal Kumar. Human rights and peace ideas, laws, institutions and movements. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE, 2009. Web.

Footnotes

1 Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Human rights and peace ideas, laws, institutions and movements (Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE, 2009), 15. Web.

2 Ibid. 27.

3 Paul Kurtz, What Is Secular Humanism? (New York: Prometheus Books, 2007), 86. Web.

4 Michelin Ishay, The History of human rights: From ancient times to globalization era (California: University of California Press, 2004), 67. Web.

5 Morgan Hiram, An introduction to the study of political ideas in early modern Ireland (London: Routledge, 1998), 35. Web.

6 Ibid., 47.

7 Bethany Barratt, Public Opinion & International Intervention Lessons from the Iraq War (Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, 2012), 287. Web.

8 Frank McLynn, Lionheart and Lackland: King Richard, King John and the Wars of Conquest (London: Jonathan Cape, 2006), 36. Web.

9 Ibid., 63.

10 Manuela Albertone, Rethinking the Atlantic World: Europe and America in the Age of Democratic Revolutions (Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), 156. Web.

11 Ibid. 278

12 Denise Bostdorff, Proclaiming the Truman Doctrine: The Cold War Call to Arms (Texas: A & M UP, 2008), 256. Web.

13 Ibid. 345.

14 Graeme Gill, The Dynamics of Democratization: Elites, Civil Society, and the Transition Process (New York: St. Martin’s, 2000), 156. Web.

15 Ibid., 358.

16 Nathaniel Copsey, Public Opinion and the Making of Foreign Policy in the ‘new Europe’ a Comparative Study of Poland and Ukraine (Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009), 78. Web.

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