Human Rights Quarterly · 1987 · 261 citations · 0 references
LawHuman Rights LawInternational LawAfrican StudiesHuman RightsInternational EthicsHuman DignityInternational Human Rights LawDignityHuman Rights TheoryTheology Of Human Dignity
The concept of human rights is widely regarded as historically Western, and scholars debate whether it can be applied to non‑Western cultures—a discussion that remains unresolved despite growing African discourse. The study examines whether non‑Western societies can adopt Western‑based human rights instruments or possess alternative approaches to enhancing human dignity, questioning the applicability of contemporary international human rights frameworks.
There is an ongoing debate among scholars over whether or not the concept of human rights is entirely Western. ' Questions that have been raised include the following: Can we really expect non-Western peoples to embrace the international human rights instruments which are by and large Western in character? 2 If non-Western cultures do not possess the Western conception of human rights, do they have other approaches to the enhancement of human dignity? 3 It is perhaps in the nature of such a discussion that these questions will never be satisfactorily answered. There seems to be some consensus, however, that the concept of human rights as generally understood is historically a Western concept. The more troubling questions facing Westerners and non-Westerners alike pertain to whether contemporary international human rights instruments, given their Western biases, can be said to apply to peoples from non-Western cultures. Despite an increase in the discussion of human rights in Africa, very little exists in the form of literature that approaches the idea of human rights from