Natural Rights: Thomas Hobbes idea of self-preservation.

Ancient Romans believed that everyone was

born free and equal. Edmund Burke criticizes the idea because people based on traditions and customs
and government is necessary to safeguard these rights. Present in American Declaration of
Independence. John Locke, natural rights is absence of obligation, positive rights, freedom to life instead
of thou shalt not murder. He believes laws guarantee these rights. Medieval natural law was more
loosely based on the concept of obligations and eventually evolved into natural rights of the 17
th

century. 18th century. Paine says if these rights are guaranteed by Charter they can be revoked. Social
contract must have sovereignty.
Declaration of the Rights of Woman: Modeled after the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen,
1791, written by Olympe de Gouges, extended the idea that human rights belonged to men and women.
Inevitable through cascading rights logic. The French Revolution was fought for gender equality but no
changes were made. If women are equally punished they should be able to exercise equal rights. Mocks
the declaration by the marquis de Lafayette which is supposed to be a universal human rights
document. Nicholas Condorcet is a supporter, saying fighting for rights for small groups is counter
intuitive when 12 million French women are deprived.
Karl Marx: believed the only true way to achieve social equality and fair rights for all was to abolish the
idea of owning property. All human problems are linked to owning property. Mid 1843s, Communist
Manifesto, On the Jewish Question. Though individuals may be spiritually or politically free in a secular
state, they are always bound to material constraints imposed by economic inequalities. People should
be free from any rights to truly experience freedom. Human rights will happen when individuals are
equal.
Anti-Slavery Movement: 1787 Society for the Abolition of Slave Trade in England, 1833 slaves in colonies
were freed, France followed in 1848, Americans 1865, serfdom ends in 1861 Russia. Abolitionists
believed in elevating the humanity of slaves to make them Christians Led by figures such as Thomas
Clarkson, Granville Sharp, William Wilberforce in Britain. Olaudah Equiano, first-hand narrative. Gained
prominence because extended beyond the circle of we. Slave trade was abolished first because the
public was sufficiently convinced that the business was actually harmful and dangerous.
Humanitarian Narrative: 18
th
century epistolary novels, accounts of torture, had physical effects that
translated into Brain changes and Came back out as new concepts of human rights. Developed
more sentimental feeling and thought. Rise of sentimental narratives. Began to expand out beyond the
circle of we. Makes clear that all humans are alike, and we all experience the same suffering (because
we share bodies) Expansion of print and media and growth of technology assists the humanitarian
narrative. We begin to feel obligation these people and feel the need to help them. We can stop the
pain. During 18th century away from a more warlike Middle Ages greater capacity to feel, more civilized
people. Facts and accuracy of reporting, honesty, are important.
Civilisation: the civilizing mission progress humanity contrasted with non-humans, or the un-
civilized in backwards places. The barbaric states were Ottoman Empire, China, Japan, savage peoples
were Africans, Pacific Islanders, standard of civilization is to be a Christian sovereign state, ruled by law,
believes in science and progress, commerce, arts, education, and now has the goal of spreading
civilization. Int law is voluntary cooperation between equals, ie. Civilized nations
Imperialism: late 1850s early 1900s horrors of imperial rule. Britain/india, france/West Africa
(promotion of education), King Leopold/Congo, coincides with rise of nationalism, ethnicism, scientific
racism, air of superiority led to forced labor and subjected to oppression. Thought they were humanizing
but ended up destroying and dehumanizing.
18
th
century territorial expansion and rule, 19
th
century heyday of imperialism
Congo Free State: 1885 heart of darkness, horrors of imperial rule, privately owned by King Leopold of
Belgium, exploitation under the veil of scientific studies and humanitarian backing to sell ivory, rubber,
and other minerals, increasingly brutal mistreatment of the natives; forced labor, the Congo reform
Association garnered international attention and made use of photographic evidence to incite
humanitarian intervention, generally public opinion was against. Demonstrates use of media and spread
of information attributed to increasing technological advances.
Geneva Conventions: Henry Dunant, battle of solferino, international red cross, 1
st
convention wounded
and sick, 2
nd
convention conditioned of armed forces at sea, 3
rd
convention prisoners of wall, 4
th

convention protection of civilians during war time, attempt to humanize war and to place intl laws on
rules of war
Bulgarian Horrors: atrocities committed by the Ottoman empire in 1876; gladstones pamphlet, aroused
public sympathy in Europe for the Bulgarians and other countries attempting to gain independence from
the ottoman empire. The Bulgarian revolt was part of the eastern crisis, question, called into question
whether other western powers were obligated to support humanitarian intervention on behalf of the
people or play into major power politics for the sake of maintaining power balance. They ultimately did
nothing and allowed the massacres and the uprisings were violently crushed.
Genocide: World War 1, populations seen as Security threats are wiped out, cultivation of hatreds,
increasing nationalism, man-made famine in Ukraine by Russia kill kills millions, eliminate Jews in Poland
after invasion, Final solution 1941 mass executions, perhaps indicative that true human rights still not
present, the stateless/minorities persecuted and killed in ethnic cleansing, citizenship rights prerequisite
to human natural rights
The Nuremberg Trial: 1945-46 International Military Tribunal, charges were crimes against peace, war
crimes, crimes against humanity, effect on human rights: Adoption of the Nuremberg principles,
legislative power to the formation of United Nations first international humanitarian legal entity, Era of
the witness

Essay Prep:
1. What is the role of witnessing in humanitarian practice?
Thomas Lacqueur Bodies connection, amelioration is possible, consequences of actions, bridge the
gap of the circle of we
Olaudah Equiano Slave narrative
Thomas Clarkson anti-slavery movement
Eichmann trial brought the voices of the oppressed to light as opposed to ww2 nuremberg trials
people soon forgot the holocaust
2. When states intervene to protect the rights of others, do they ever really mean it or is it just a
cloak for imperial practice?
Arguably a combination of both. On top of that, the idea of preservation of power is also mixed in.
There is almost always an ulterior motive.
Bulgarian Horrors Bulgaria wanted to succeed from the Ottoman Empire, the great powers were
unsure of what to do
Congo Edmund Morel King Leopold, bringing scientific advancement research, humanitarian
support to the uncivilized people
France in West Africa bringing education , exploitation
United States and the Philippines supported liberation from Spain, took control to spread
democracy but ended up committing atrocities. Most notable Mark Twain and others part of anti-
imperialist league warned against.
Britain and India making them into Englishmen economic exploitation
Gary Bass good intentions
Davide Rodogno no not really
Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

3. The difference between human rights and citizenship rights lies in how the rights are protected.
Human rights are supposed to exist independently of any government institution, whereas
citizenship rights are closely linked to the role of government and the rights which are
permitted. Citizenship rights can be granted or revoked, but human rights are inviolable.
Karl Marx socialism communism viewpoint. The egotistical man. We have citizenship right to
property, but if were caught up in owning property we cannot achieve true freedom and equality.
Edmund Burke critique on the French Revolution, rights need to be based on tradition, precedents,
men need to be restrained or they will want anything
Hannah Arendt statelessness, minorities, after WW1, carved up different nation states, Jews,
worse than criminals because being a criminal means being acknowledged by law because they
were not people of a nation, the government did not have to extend their protection to the minority
groups
Virginia Declaration + French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Ancient Greeks+Romans, some were citizens, some were not i.e. slaves

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

Natural Rights: Natural rights are the idea that rights inherently belong to a human as a consequence of
being human. Governments existed in a social contract to the people it governs to protect these natural
rights. Though natural rights were advocated by individuals such as Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Paine, and
John Locke, the idea of natural rights is not a new idea. Middle age philosophers believed in the idea
also (natural law), but as an obligation to not do certain things, rather than the idea present in
documents such as the American Declaration of Independence, , which is the idea of positive rights,
where individuals have the freedom to do such and such. This idea connects to human rights because
the ideas, though there was disputes over whether natural rights are truly natural, because government
and citizenship is necessary to guarantee them.

Declaration of the Rights of Woman: Olympe de Gouges writes the Declaration in 1791 and models it
after the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen in the aftermath of the French revolution. The
Declaration can be seen as somewhat of a parody of the original, as it almost copies it point for point,
with the exception of making it applicable to women. The premise is that since women are punished for
the same crimes, just as men are, they should be entitled to the same rights that men are. The
revolution was supposed to guarantee more rights but it achieved nothing. This is monumental in that
the idea of universal human rights spoken of in the original Declaration are being expanded so that it
truly is universal and inclusive of the other half.
Karl Marx: Karl Marx, author of On the Jewish Question and Communist Manifesto, is a 19
th
century
philosopher who analyzed the situation of rights. He believed that true freedom did not come from a
politically or spiritually free state, but rather, economic inequalities will always hold down the individual
and create clash between different social classes. The root of this problem was the ownership of
property, which closely links to the idea of capitalism. By abolishing capitalism and adopting
communism, everyone is truly equal, and only then can everyone had the freedom that human rights so
ardently seeks to achieve. He is critical of human rights as he believes it is derived from egotistical man,
used to serve his own interests.