An Act of Necessity, Not Charity: A Thematic Analysis of International Human Rights Law
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Authors
Wilkins, Kate
Date of Issue
2025-04-25
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
Human rights are fundamental to dignity and respect, and their articulation and protection are largely shaped by international human rights law. This body of law comprises legal documents that define and uphold what societies have deemed basic and inherent rights. In this study, I performed a thematic analysis of primary source documents spanning from 539 BCE to the late 1960s AD to examine the underlying motivations behind the formulation of human rights. Documents from philosophy, declarations, treaties, speeches, and religious texts were analyzed through their textual content, historical context, and lasting impact on the field. Findings indicate that the development of international human rights law is driven by key factors including benevolence, self-interest, and self-preservation. These results are important to reevaluating historic misconceptions that the motives behind human rights law are purely out of good will; rather, these findings provide a more diverse perspective on the true motivating factors behind this field’s development. Historically, individuals and nations recognized that securing rights for others was essential to safeguarding their own, making these factors influential to legal advancements in human rights. This analysis provides critical insight into the forces that have historically shaped international human rights law. The findings of this study suggest ways to view not only how human rights developed, but how society may continue to develop them as time goes on.