The Ancient and Religious Roots of the Idea of Human Rights

Abstract

This text examines the historical and philosophical development of the concept of human rights from antiquity to modern times. It argues that human rights have evolved in close connection with social, political, cultural, and intellectual conditions of each historical period. Beginning with ancient Greek and Roman thought, the text highlights early democratic ideas, the contributions of the Sophists, and the contrasting views of philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who prioritized the state over the individual. It further explores religious perspectives that grounded human dignity and equality in divine or natural law. Modern liberal democracy is presented as a system that limits majority rule through the protection of fundamental human rights. The text emphasizes the international character of human rights, as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while also stressing the importance of cultural and historical specificity. Ultimately, it concludes that human rights can only be sustainably protected in societies that consciously understand, accept, and actively struggle for them (UN, 1998).