Human Rights and the Age of Inequality by Samuel Moyn

Human Rights and the Age of Inequality

-Samuel Moyn

Points of the Essay:

• Human rights laws cannot not reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.
• War, torture, and poverty are the challenges for equal rights.
• After the World War II, countries cared more about their own welfare than global equality.
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says all people are equal, but inequality remains.
• Human rights policies alone cannot fix inequality. Wealth should be shared more fairly.
• Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on 10^th Dec but no real action is taken to reduce inequality.
• Radical movements, fairer wealth distribution, and stronger laws can help reduce the inequality.
• The world today is like Croesus' kingdom where the rich live in comfort, and the poor struggle.

Summary:

Samuel Moyn, in his essay, discusses the gap between the idea of equality and the reality of human rights. He argues that human rights movements are not strong enough to fight global inequality. While people should have equal rights in social, political, and economic matters, this has not been achieved. According to him, human rights laws exist, but they do not effectively address the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

Moyn begins the essay with a folktale about Croesus, the wealthy king of Lydia. Croesus believed he was the happiest person, and he wanted his people to be free from suffering. However, he was unwilling to use his wealth to help the poor. Eventually, his riches were taken by the Persian King Cyrus after he was defeated. The author compares this to the modern world, where resources are not fairly shared, and inequality continues. He suggests that human rights policies should be replaced with something more effective. He also stresses that democratic governments should protect civil liberties and work to end extreme poverty.

There are many challenges to human rights, including war, torture, and cruelty. It is unfair that some people enjoy great wealth while others struggle to survive. Social rights are very important, but according to Moyn, human rights efforts after the 1940s faced difficulties. The world was divided into two groups: the democratic nations led by the United States and the communist nations led by the USSR. This led to the Cold War. After World War II, many countries focused only on their own national welfare instead of supporting human rights for all.

In 1944, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt proposed “a second Bill of Rights” to address economic and social rights. However, it was criticised for three main reasons. First, it only represented America’s limited perspective. Second, it did not support real equality and mainly helped a privileged few. Third, it was similar to existing welfare policies. Moyn points out that despite the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating that all people are born free and equal, inequality still exists. Rights and laws are written in documents but are not properly followed. Racism and social hierarchies remain.

During the Cold War, capitalist countries supported welfare policies, but these remained mostly theoretical. After World War II and decolonisation, national welfare became more important than global equality. The gap between rich and poor countries widened. Moyn does not suggest that simply changing human rights policies will solve the problem. Instead, he argues that there must be a stronger connection between human rights and economic justice. He refers to Herodotus’ history, which talks about the need to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor.

Each year, December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights Day, but there are no strong efforts to ensure equal access to wealth and opportunities. Moyn believes that the only way to fix these problems is to share resources more fairly. However, he also admits that this is difficult to achieve. Even though human rights activists talk about equality, in reality, it does not exist. The current political and social system does not allow everyone to enjoy true freedom and human rights.

Moyn suggests solutions such as radical movements, wealth redistribution, better laws, and stricter enforcement. However, he acknowledges that equal wealth distribution is almost impossible. He compares today’s world to the story of Croesus, where the rich live in comfort while the poor suffer. The essay discusses an important issue and uses historical and mythical examples to support its points. The language is complex, but the topic is essential for understanding fairness in society.

Short Summary:

Samuel Moyn, in his essay "Human Rights and the Age of Inequality", argues that human rights laws exist, but they do not reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. Human rights movements are weak.

He compares King Croesus, who was rich but did not help the poor, to today's unfair distribution of wealth. War, torture, and poverty prevent equal rights. The rich enjoy luxury, while the poor suffer.

After World War II, countries focused on their own welfare instead of global equality. The world was divided between US-led democratic nations and USSR-led communist nations. In 1944, Roosevelt proposed the "Second Bill of Rights" for economic and social rights, but it was criticised for benefiting only a few and being similar to existing welfare policies.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says all people are equal, but inequality remains because laws are not followed. Human rights policies alone cannot fix inequality. Wealth should be shared more fairly.

Human Rights Day is celebrated every year, but no real action is taken to reduce inequality. Moyn suggests radical movements, fairer wealth distribution, and stronger laws. However, he admits that equal wealth distribution is nearly impossible.

He compares today’s world to Croesus' kingdom, where the rich live in comfort, and the poor continue to suffer.

Question-Answers:

1.     Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important to you? (2081-A)

Ans: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is important because it protects the basic rights of every person. It says that everyone should be treated equally, with dignity and respect. It helps people live freely without fear of unfair treatment. However, as Samuel Moyn says, these rights are often just words on paper and are not followed in real life. The UDHR reminds governments and people to work for fairness and justice.

2.     Explain your views on 'civil liberties' in Nepal based on your understanding of Croesus' ideas. (2081-B)

Ans: Croesus, the rich king of Lydia, wanted his people to be happy but did not share his wealth to help them. This is similar to Nepal, where civil liberties like freedom of speech and equality exist in law, but not everyone gets to enjoy them equally. Poor and disadvantaged people still struggle to get justice and fair treatment. To truly protect civil liberties, Nepal must make sure that all people, rich or poor, can enjoy the same rights in real life, not just in legal documents.

3.     What is the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? (2080-C)

ANs: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR)  is important because it sets rules for how people should be treated fairly and equally. It helps protect people from discrimination and injustice. However, as Moyn says, even though the UDHR declares that all people are born free and equal, real life is different. There is still poverty and unfair treatment. The UDHR is a goal that all countries should work towards to make life better for everyone.

4.     In what way is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important? Give reasons. (2080-G, 2081-A)

Ans: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR)  is important because it gives people rights such as freedom, equality, and protection from harm. It helps make sure that people are treated fairly, no matter where they live. But, as Moyn points out, these rights are often not put into action. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is important because it encourages countries to make laws that protect people and reduce unfairness in society.

5.     What is the goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Why is it important for an individual? (2079-GI)

Ans: The goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) is to make sure that all people have equal rights, freedom, and justice. It tries to stop unfair treatment and protect basic needs like education and safety. For an individual, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR)  is important because it gives them the right to live with dignity and be treated fairly. However, Moyn says that these rights are not always followed because of inequality. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR)  is a good idea, but for it to work, governments must take real action to make society fairer.