Lynn Hunt’s Inventing Human Rights

In Lynn Hunt’s Inventing Human Rights novel, she focuses on revealing the various incidents in which the discussion of human rights were created, critiqued and defined. She asks the question, “If equality of rights is so self-evident, then why did this assertion have to be made and why was it only made in specific times and places?” Her question is ideal. Why would something that is allegedly so self evident have to be discussed and debated about when clearly anyone that is a “human being” is entitled to equal rights?

Throughout the 18th century there were a lot of transformations that took place when it came to deciding what and who were entitled to this alleged equality of rights and also what are these rights. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first who took part in this ethical debate unknowingly. While he was writing his first draft of the Declaration of Independence he stated that: “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Hunt pg. 15) This declaration would influence the French to begun thinking about their rights. Jefferson helped his with some of the key drafts prepared by Lafayette.

Before Jefferson’s declaration it seemed that the 18th century lacked the knowledge of equality. Hunt discusses that even though Jefferson declared that, “all men are created equal” he technically did not mean what he said. With the statement of “all men” this statement usually would be about those who were Male, Caucasian and Catholic, and those who were slaves, women or children, knew that they were not included in that reference. The French then created The Declara...

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...nheritance and divorce rights but were not allowed to vote until the late 19th century.

Hunt’s book provided excessive amounts of answers to the equal rights question. As read above, she states how the Jefferson helped influenced the French to create a declaration in which they adjusted or established new laws. She then explains in details all the events that helped influence the creation of the Declaration along with various arguments that initiated the need to create decrees that altered or specified various laws already created in the Declaration.

Hunt, I believe emphasizes the importance of the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen because it has addressed areas of concern and granted rights to certain groups that the United States had not even considered granting rights to. It also was influential to different democracies around the world.