Universalism, Cosmopolitanism and Human Rights

The global society of XXI century there are two main shifts. The first is a commitment to universalism, human rights and, finally, to cosmopolitanism; the second is a re-affirmation of local, ethnic, civilizational identity.

This is evident in the contemporary debate about human rights. A critique against human rights theory  say that human rights are a Western ideology and express  the Western vision of humankind, and particularly the individualism of Western society and his vision of private property. In this sense are relevant the critiques proposed by the so called African Renaissance, by Chinese neo-Confucian and Indian theorists and also by any Western intellectuals. Another point of these critiques is that in every culture and civilisation there are Human Rights. They demand f. e. that “Asian” or Ubuntu values are included in a new theory or conception of Human Rights. But these critiques implicitly admit that Human Rights are the general framework in which only these values can be legitimate. In other words, Human Rights, as general and Western vision of Humankind, must be integrated bay other values. In this sense the Theory can be universal and not only a product of a single civilisation.

The question now is: can we produce such theory? Which are his characters?

A new and more inclusive and universal Theory of Human Rights can be twofold: 1) this theory has to include all common values of cultures and civilisations but 2) it have to include also the diversity of cultures and civilisations. Unity and diversity: this is the main structure of a new and universal Theory of Human Rights.

This Theory, for his universal characters is open to a cosmopolitanist vision of citizenship.