When did a theorist say "[w]e became aware of the existence of a right to have rights [...] only when millions of people emerged who had lost and could not regain these rights"?
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was a Jewish German-American theorist and journalist. Arendt points out that human rights cannot protect the disenfranchised, namely those who most urgently need the protection of human rights. Human rights must therefore be rethought based on those who are denied equal human rights.
When did a philospher say that "[h]umanity is in its greatest perfection in the white race. [...] The N* are much lower, and lowest of all is part of the American peoples"?
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was one of the most famous philosophers of the Enlightenment. The quote comes from a lecture on "Physical Geography" that Kant gives regularly from 1755 until the end of his teaching career in 1796. The quote contradicts Kant's ethics and moral philosophy, which presupposes the equality of all people and is also considered fundamental to the Declaration of Human Rights.
When did a philosopher say "[t]he idea of human rights, in other words, may carry within itself the agenda of a kind of social Darwinism”?
Gayatri Ch. Spivak (*1942) is an Indian-American literary scholar and postcolonial theorist. Spivak criticizes the idea of civilization and progress inherent in human rights. Human rights imply a logic of the strongest: they suggest that white Europeans, thanks to their supposed civilization, were able to bring about human rights, while black people were not.
When did a monch write that "the natural laws and rules of men are common to all peoples, Christian and pagan, without distinction and no matter what their sect, law, status, color or origin may be"?
Bartholomé de Las Casas (1484-1566) was the first bishop of Chiapas (today: Mexico). Long before the individual rights of freedom in 18th century Europe, Las Casas opposes Spain's imperialist policies by demanding equal rights for all people. He points out the illegality of the alleged treaties with the indigenous population, which were intended to legitimize the Spanish conquistadors' land seizures.
When did a historian say "[s]elf-defence is an inalienable human right, and the tactics of confronting the regime will change to ensure that persons defend their right to life and limb"?
Walter Rodney (1942-1980) was a Marxist historian and politician from Guyana. The quote comes from the speech "People's Power, no Dictator", which Rodney gives in 1979. Rodney opposes the increasingly dictatorial government of Forbes Burnham and emphasizes self-defence as a universal human right.
When did a philosopher write that a "man counts as a man in virtue of his manhood alone, not because he is a Jew, Catholic, Protestant, German, Italian, etc."?
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was a philosopher of German Idealism. Hegel emphasizes that in modern bourgeois society all people are equal, regardless of religion or nationality. However, this legal equality must first be achieved historically. This means that other ways of life that do not correspond to the European bourgeois order can be devalued as underdeveloped.
When did a philosopher say that "discrimination [...] and selection on the basis of race continue to be structuring factors of inequality, the absence of rights, and contemporary domination, notably in our democracies—although the fact is often denied"?
Achille Mbembe (*1957) is a postcolonial theorist, philosopher and historian. In the "Critique of Black Reason", Mbembe develops a critical reflection on the Western notion of reason and rationality. In this context, he attempts to show the extent to which the goal of anti-colonial liberation struggles, the right to equal participation for all, remains relevant for the present day.
When did an economist say that "we take possession of the countries of all peoples in all three other parts of the world without hesitation; […] we do all this without anyone in Europe being aware that we are thereby committing terrible injustices"?
Johann Heinrich Gottlob Justi (1717-1771) was an economist, cameralist and lawyer. The quote comes from a text in which Justi compares European with other supposedly barbaric governments. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he criticizes European arrogance. The fact that the Europeans themselves were crude was evident in their actions.
When did an author say that "no human being is illegal"?
Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) was an American-Romanian publicist, author, university lecturer and Shoah survivor. This political slogan is directed against deportation policies, the restriction of asylum laws and racism. Today it is used in the context of deportation policies and borders. Wiesel, who is said to have introduced the slogan as part of a civil and human rights campaign for Salvadorans in the USA, is considered the originator.
When did an author say that "it would be worthwhile to [...] reveal to the very [...] humanistic [...] bourgeois of the twentieth century that [...] its concept of those rights [= rights of man] has been [...] sordidly racist"?
Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) was an Afro-Caribbean-French politician and author. The quote comes from Césaire's published speech "On Colonialism". He criticizes the self-image of an enlightened Europe and shows that human rights do not apply to everyone in a colonized world. Many people only became aware of human rights violations by Europeans as a result of National Socialism when they took place within Europe.
When did an author say that "this traffic cannot be good, [...] which violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God could never intend"?
Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) was an author born in Nigeria. The quote comes from Equiano's memory of warlike conflicts that take place in his childhood between neighboring states in order to take prisoners and sell them to European slave traders. In this case, the attackers succumb and are enslaved.
When was it written that "no other distinctions exist than those of virtues and talents, nor any other superiority than that granted by the law in the exercise of a public charge"?
The quote comes from the Constitution of St. Dominique from 1801. In August 1791, black slaves revolt against the French colonial power and freed themselves. This is followed by years of conflict. St. Dominique becomes independent in 1804 and is renamed Haiti.
When was it written that "[…] one who saves a single soul in the world is as if he has saved the whole world"?
This principle comes from the Babylonian Talmud. It emphasizes the simultaneous universality and particularity of each and every human being. This claim comes close to the idea of human rights. Yad Vashem memorial honors the "Righteous Among the Nations" (those who saved Jews during the Shoah) with a medal engraved with this phrase.
When did a theorist say that "neither did intelligence save anybody, for if equality among men is proclaimed in the name of intelligence and philosophy, it is also true that these concepts have been used to justify the extermination of man"?
Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) was one of the most important pioneers of anti- and post-colonial theory. The quote is taken from Fanon's famous text "Black Skin, White Masks" from 1952, in which he deals with the psychological effects of colonial violence and thus turns away from the Négritude movement.
When did a politician say that "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights"?
Hillary Clinton (*1947) is an American politician. This quote comes from her speech as "First Lady" during the "Fourth World Conference on Women" in Beijing, China. She refers to the fact that many women who wanted to attend the conference were denied participation. However, Clinton herself is criticized for prioratising the interests of the USA to the protection of human rights.
When did an econimist say that "[n]one of the so-called rights of man, therefore, go [...] beyond man as a member of civil society"?
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was an important theorist of the workers movement. In opposition to liberal human rights that only conceale economic exploitation, Marx advocates their abolition to make it possible to overcome the conditions characterized by competition. Both the workers movement and anti-colonial liberation movements refer to Marx's critique.
When did a group write: "Christ redeemed all of us with his precious blood, both the shepherd and the nobleman [...]. Accordingly we hereby declare that we are free"?
This quote comes from a document of the peasant assembly in Memmingen during the German Peasants War (1524-26). In the aftermath of the Reformation, many peasants feel that the previous legal situation did not correspond to God's will and that they had been wronged. They use the Bible to argue against the order sanctioned by the church. The Twelve Articles of the Peasantry are regarded as an early demand for human rights and freedom in Europe.
When did a well-known philosopher write that "it is clear, then, that some men are by natur free, and others slaves"?
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) was an ancient philosopher. In his first book "Politics", Aristotle identifies the subordination and superiority of human beings as a natural fact (1255a3-6). His defense of slavery is an important source of justification for the actions of conquerors, slave owners and settlers in both the pre-modern and modern eras.
When was it written that "true faith is the guarantee for enhancing such dignity along the path to human perfection"?
The Cairo Declaration of Human rights, developed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, is explicitly based on Islamic Sharia law. This creates a tension. On the one hand, human dignity is guaranteed "without any discrimination" - including that based on "religious belief" - while on the other, "true faith" is the "guarantee for the enjoyment of such dignity".
When did a teacher say that it was only now that she realized "how difficult it would be for me to find suitable accommodation because of my African origin"?
Henriette Alexander (1817-1895) was the daughter of African valets de chambre and a teacher. The quote comes from Alexander's notes on her life. She describes various stages of her life as a teacher and as a dependent. Despite her talents, she is unable to achieve independence in her home or profession. She is denied equality and freedom because of her African heritage.
When did a philosopher say that "we American Negroes appeal to you; our treatment in America is not merely an internal question of the United States. It is a basic problem of humanity; of democracy; of discrimination because of race and color”?
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was an American human rights activist and civil rights activist as well as philosopher, sociologist and historian. In a letter to the United Nations, Du Bois links the situation of Black people in the USA with general human rights issues: While the USA, as an ally in Europe, was instrumental in the liberation from fascism, Black people in the USA are denied basic rights.
When did an author write that "the dark side of European ethics [...] is no longer as dark as it once was, but [...] still badly in need of light"?
Charlotte Wiedemann (*1954) is a journalist and works on memory cultures and postcolonial theory. The quote points out that Europeans see themselves as the founders of equality for all people, while at the same time, as former colonial powers, they refuse to come to terms with and compensate for colonial crimes. Every step must be claimed, fought for and negotiated by the victims.
When did a woman say: "If the first woman [...] was strong enough to turn the world upside down [...] alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back"?
Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was an activist who campaigned for the abolition of slavery. Thruth gives the speech "Ain't I a woman" at the Women's Congress in Akron, Ohio in 1851, criticizing the unequal treatment of black and white women. The speech is directed against the lack of rights for women. In her speech, Thruth draws attention to the intertwining of sexism and racism.
When did an activist write: "Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility"?
Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793) was a pioneer of women's emancipation and civil rights. The "Declaration of the Rights of Women and Female Citizens" is a counter-declaration to the Declaration of Human Rights of the French Revolution, which only applied to men. However, women's suffrage is not introduced in France until a long time later, in 1944.
Which famous author wrote that "those who burn books will in the end burn people"?
Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) was a critical, political publicist of Jewish origin. The quote comes from Heine's tragedy "Almansor" and refers to the Wartburg Festival of 1817. Inspired by the French Revolution and the declaration of human and civil rights in 1789, these are also demanded here. In contrast to these liberal aspirations, books by unpopular authors are symbolically burned at the festival.
When did a lawyer say that "participation is criminal" "when the state is criminal because it violates human rights and liberties"?
Fritz Bauer (1903-1968) was a lawyer who campaigned for the prosecution of Nazi crimes. Bauer comments on the controversy surrounding the purpose of the Auschwitz trials (1963-1965). In addition to the historical truth about the deeds, there had to be a legal safeguarding of the right to resist legal injustice. In this context, he speaks of a "virtue of disobedience" to laws and orders that violate human dignity.