Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 1, 2025

The Relativity of the Human Rights Universality

(Abstract)

Mao Junxiang

The universality of human rights is a disputed theoretical issue. By combing through the development and evolution of the movement for human rights universalization, as well as the spatiotemporal changes in the demands for human rights universality, from the perspectives of moral rights, legal rights, and political power, we can illustrate the historical and contemporary contexts that underpin the proposition of human rights universality and reveal the relativistic factors embedded within the concept of human rights universality. Human rights are a shared goal for human community, and the value of human rights commands universal significance. Absolute universality of human rights encompassing all levels is untenable, and the universality of human rights is thus relative. While human rights concepts, subjects, systems, standards, institutions, and models all contain human rights values, they also show relativity. The relativity of human rights is universal and it manifests as a form of human rights diversity in different regions, countries, and societies. Under the guidance of universal human rights values, the human rights concepts, subjects, systems, standards, institutions, and practices of various countries continue to converge, forming the principle of human rights universality. The universality of human rights displays a unity between the value universality and cultural diversity.