This essay critically examines the concept of natural rights in the context of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The author traces the philosophical roots of this idea back to Ancient Greece and the Sophist debates regarding the distinction between nature (physis) and convention (nomos). The text distinguishes between two fundamental views of law: one where law is an instrument of power for the strong, and another where law serves to protect the weak. The author challenges the modern assertion that humans are 'born free and equal,' arguing that this is factually incorrect as humans are born helpless and must be invited into freedom through society. Freedom is not a biological endowment but a human calling and a social commitment. According to the author, the true meaning of human rights lies not in following nature, but in deliberately establishing a 'non-natural,' human order that protects individual dignity against the natural 'right of the stronger.' The text calls for a profound philosophical revision of the foundations upon which human rights are built.
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◆ lecture, Czech, origin: 12. 2. 1969
- in: Tvář, [4], 1969, n. 3, p. VII–VIII (příloha – Společnost)