This article is a detailed description of various approaches and perspectives of human rights.

1. Abdul Momin - Prepared By - Shahbaz Akram
Unit 1: Human Rights: Perspectives, Approaches, & Classification
Human Rights: Perspectives
What is Human Rights?
The concept of Human Right is based on the assumption that human beings are born equal in
dignity and rights. These are moral claims which are inalienable and inherent in all human
beings by virtue of the member of the humanity alone.
Equal dignity of all persons is the central concept of all human rights. These rights have been
designated to be universal in application, inalienable in exercise and inherent to all persons.
Human beings are entitled to some basic and natural rights otherwise their life would be
meaningless.
Marxian or Socialist Perspective of Human Rights
The Marxist approach of the human rights can be seen in the writings of Karl Marx, the Engels
and Lenin. The Marxian approach gives more importance to the social rights than the
individual rights. It states that the personality development is possible only through the
society. Therefore more importance should be given to the social rights rather than the
individual rights. Therefore the duty of the state is to guarantee the civil and economic rights
to its citizens. According to Marx personal rights and personal liberty makes a man more
selfish and exclude him from the society. Therefore social rights should be given priority.
The Marxian approach does not consider religion, culture, morality, and customs traditions
etc. as integral components of human rights. They argue that full realization of individual’s
development is possible only within the context of society. The approach envisages freedom
as freedom through the society not freedom from the society.
The importance of the Marxist approach is that it emphasized that socio, economic rights in
a society. The important criticism against this theory is that it gives emphasis on society rather
than the individuals.

2. Abdul Momin - Prepared By - Shahbaz Akram
Feminist Perspective of Human Rights
The feminist perspective on the debate around human rights is particularly significant as the
feminist movement began as a struggle to ensure a disadvantaged group of people (women)
were given the same basic rights as an advantaged group of people (men). The rights that
women have struggled for are frequently the same rights that oppressed groups across the
world are also struggling for. In other words, equality is the aim. However, feminist thought
has led to the idea that equality does not always equal being treated exactly the same, but
for systems to be put into place that allow each individual to pursue what is important to
them. In other words, more flexible working patterns to allow for childcare may be of a higher
priority to one person than another, but both should have equal opportunity to pursue a
career; meaning that the employer or the state should provide flexitime.
They include the right to be free from violence, the right to participate in the economic and
political system of the country, the right to liberty, and the right to equal treatment by the
law. The UN document “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” can be read in full on the
UN website here: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Western or Liberal Perspective of Human Rights
The Western approach is also known as the liberal democratic approach. It is based on the
idea of liberalism which defences the principles of competitive individualism, private
property, and market ethics. It cherishes the individual liberty, development and human
progress through the functioning of the above principles. The liberal approach is based on the
natural law and natural rights view of human rights. The advocates of liberal approach agree
with the Locke’s understanding on the natural rights of life, liberty and property. They argue
the duty of the government is just to maintain law and order so that everybody will get a
chance to enjoy their rights. Liberal approach prefers a minimum or night-watchman state.
Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, J.S, Mill were the ardent advocates of the liberal approach. The
main principles of the liberal approach are the personal liberty, private property, open
market, open competition; it laid emphasis for the creation of a good society and state based
on personal liberty.

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Third World Perspective of Human Rights
The approach of the Third World countries on human rights was not very different from the
western concept. But since most of the Afro-Asian, Latin American countries were under
colonial rule there were human rights violations in that part of the world. The nationalist
movements in all these countries were for the protection of their basic rights. Among the
Third World countries, India was the pioneer in the formulation of the concept of the human
rights. In India a large section of people such as Harijans, Girijans and landless labours have
not only suffered economic exploitation but have been subjected to all sorts of exploitation.
However with the independence of the country, the framers of the constitution formulated
programmes for the welfare of those who were neglected.
Anti-Discriminatory Perspective of Human Rights
It means treating a person or group unfairly because of a particular characteristic, such as
gender, disability, age, ethnic origin, skin colour, nationality, sexuality and/or religious
belief. This usually results in negative consequences for the person or group, reducing their
opportunities, excluding them from communities and restricting their ability to contribute
to society and live their preferred life. So Anti-Discriminatory perspective stands against the
violation of the rights of others.
Human Rights: Approaches

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1. Natural School of Thoughts: According to this school, human rights are those right
to which one possesses simply by being a human being.
2. Deliberative School of Thought: Deliberative school of thought conceives human
rights as political values that liberal societies choose to adopt.
3. The Protest School of Thought: Protest scholars look at human rights as claims and
aspiration that allow the status quo to be contested in favour of the oppressed.
4. The Discourse School: In its perspective, human rights exist only because people talk
about them.
Human Rights: Classification
Human rights are generally classified into three. They are;
1. The First Generation rights
2. The Second Generation Rights
3. The Third Generation rights
The First Generation Rights: This generation deal essentially with liberty. They are
fundamentally civil and political in nature and serve to protect the individual from excesses
of the state. First-generation rights include, inter alia, freedom of speech, the right to a fair
trial, and freedom of religion.
Natural
Rights
Natural
School of
Thought
Deliberative
School
Protest
Scholars
Discourse
Scholars

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First generation rights are therefore mostly negative rights. They were first enshrined at the
global level by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights & are rights from certain
things, usually freedoms from abuse or coercion by others, as opposed to positive rights
which are the rights or guarantees to certain things.
The Second Generation Rights: Second-generation human rights are related to equality and
began to be recognized by governments after World War II. They are fundamentally
economic, social, and cultural in nature. They guarantee different members of the citizenry
equal conditions and treatment. Secondary rights would include a right to be employed in just
and favourable condition, rights to food, housing and health care, as well as social security
and unemployment benefits. Like first-generation rights, they were also covered by the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and further embodied in Articles 22 to 28 of the
Universal Declaration, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural
Rights.
The Third Generation rights: Third-generation human rights are those rights that go beyond
the mere civil and social. Third-generation or ‘solidarity’ rights are the most recently
recognised category of human rights, in response to realization that mankind lives on a very
small and fragile planet.
The idea at the basis of the third generation of rights is that of solidarity; and the rights
embrace collective rights of society or peoples
 The right to peace: the right to live in peaceful world, free from the threat of nuclear
war
 The right to a healthy environment: The right to live in a balanced eco-system free
from environmental contaminants that are destroying the planet
 The right to development: The right of all people to have a basic standard of living so
that the gap between rich and poor is not too great