A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF MODERN NATURAL RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Abstract. This essay seeks to study the relationship between the natural rights and international human rights. Thus, we first discuss the foundations and basic notions in natural rights and human rights and then we turn to the analysis of the concept of modern natural rights and international human rights. The concept of natural rights has its origin in ancient times and a divine perspective of man informed by religion and such figures as Thomas Aquinas are among those theoreticians who have analyzed the notion of natural rights within the framework of human divine nature. However, after Middle Ages, some thinkers like Hobbes and Lock provided social analyses of natural rights and suggested that the roots of these rights should be sought for in the natural state of human social life due to which humankind enjoys certain conditions that allow him to have access to natural rights. The international rights that have een stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights share deep roots with natural rights. In fact, through an evolutionary course the natural rights have evolved to rights of man and finally to human rights. Such principles as freedom, ownership and self-defense are equally underlined by natural rights and human rights. But in other cases which have been stipulated in the Declaration have gone beyond the level of modern natural rights and includes other different rights like the right of welfare, right of citizenship and some particular social and economic social rights that are of alternative nature as compared to modern natural rights.