Essay Prompt - Twain Scholarship
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. With today's scientific knowledge how realistic is this Article? Is reason and conscience innate, acquired or in some nations or cultures, suppressed? Is it universal? How can anyone explain the atrocities we have inflicted on each other since the dawn of human history?
In his State of the Union Address, George W. Bush announced, “The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world, it is God’s gift to humanity.” Absolutely wrong. Human beings have no God-given rights, we have only man-given rights. They are fragile—upheld by no god and no higher authority—and must be defended in the name of human morality.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, proclaims that every human is “endowed with reason and conscience” and that we are therefore morally obligated to recognize the rights of others. While this statement does not seem objectionable at first glance, it contains a dangerous fallacy. The word “endowed” suggests that conscience and reason have been given to mankind by God. A human being, however, is not some precise assembly of metaphysical elements. There is no god apportioning a drop of reason, a drop of conscience, and a drop of loving-kindness to every human being. These qualities have been integrated into human nature through millions of years of evolution. It is through this blind and imperfect process that they have come to be. As a result, no two people possess the same powers of reason nor the same level of integrity.
Just as an anencephalic baby is born missing most of its brain and spinal cord, some human beings are simply born without the normal capacity for moral reasoning. Individuals described as having an antisocial personality disorder can be entirely incapable of remorse and compassion. Names such as Hitler, Stalin, and Hussein come to mind.
The evolved predisposition most people have to develop conscience and reason is only part of the picture. While our physiology provides the foundation for the development of a conscience, it is our upbringing that defines our sense of right and wrong. Our basic values are developed through interaction with parents and are largely modeled by societal norms. Likewise, upbringing and culture often determine whether an individual reasons scientifically or learns to hold beliefs on the basis of authority and superstition.
The United Nations places the rights affirmed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights above question. These liberties, UN would probably say, are “endowed” to us just like reason and conscience. The truth, however, is that the rights set forth ought to be acknowledged because they serve to protect the welfare of humankind. In fact, they do so by protecting reason and conscience and allowing humankind to develop these faculties. Only when people’s rights are protected can reason and conscience be brought to their full potential.
• Perhaps most importantly, a society must uphold a high enough standard of living. The United Nations emphasizes in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the importance of meeting people’s basic needs for “food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.” Until these needs are met, people will fail to develop their higher capacities.
• Article 26 states, “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.” Only when education is readily available do people have the means to develop their minds.
• Article 18 states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” If a government were to regulate what constitutes truth and what does not, there is little chance that its people would come to utilize their own ability to reason.
• Borrowing from Locke’s description of inalienable human rights, Article 3 states, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” Only when people are guaranteed these basic rights do they have the means to question societal norms and the values that they have internalized as children.
It’s true that “[a]ll human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It would be ideal if we all acted “towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” It is dangerous to assume, however, that these traits are carefully apportioned to each individual by God. Our ability to reason and our ability to distinguish right from wrong are evolved capacities, not divine gifts. As such, they are fallible and can only mature under the right conditions. Although the UN did not fully grasp this reality, they were on the right track when they adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They realized the importance of meeting people’s basic needs, making education available, and protecting people’s rights and freedoms. These elements give mankind the tools to protect and develop reason and conscience, fragile as they are.
