The idea of human rights for all is a relatively

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The idea of human rights for all is a relatively new concept. Thousands of years have past where slavery has existed, where human sacrifice has taken place, and where many other horrible things have been done to fellow human beings without regard to their unalienable rights. In Western civilization, for over the past century and a half the desire for human rights for all has become more and more evident. Anti-slavery movements, women?s rights movements, and civil rights movements have all made an impact on the societal structure of today. There are many factors that come into play when regarding human rights: these factors include but are not limited to evolutionary altruism, ethically responsible political systems, and morality and reciprocity. The writers Frans de Waal, in his book ?The Ape and Sushi Master?, Lani Guinier, in her essay ?Second Proms and Second Primaries: The Limits of Majority Rule?, and Martha Nussenbaum in her article on ?Women and Cultural Universals? all have their own views that can be tied to human rights.

The varied thoughts and ideas lead to an interesting question: can human rights be applied to beings everywhere and in every culture? Through careful reasoning and a look at current issues, a conclusion of whether or not human rights for all can be reached in today?s society. As these issues are discussed, it will become rather evident that human rights for all cannot be reached.

It is my belief that Nussbaum?s views of injustices towards women are a good example of why human rights cannot be ultimately obtained. Human rights have been a product of a debate that has carried on for over two thousand years; within the European societies and their colonial descendants as well as other sections of the world. The early European cultures have...