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Who is Afraid of Human Rights?

Author(s): Magdalena Gawin
Subject(s): Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Social Philosophy
Published by: Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN
Keywords: human rights; freedom; equality; isonomy; biopolitics;

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the problem of Arendt’s criticism of human rights contained in her work “The Origins of Totalitarianism”. The criticism consists of three basic objections regarding: (1) the powerlessness of human rights; (2) the threats that human rights pose to politics; and (3) the problem of egalitarianism, characteristic of human rights, which may lead to the questioning of the human ability to act, which requires specific culture and competence from participants. In addition to reconstructing Arendt’s allegations regarding human rights, the article raises the problem of possible criticism directed against these allegations.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 23
  • Page Range: 159-177
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Polish