Human Rights and Affirmative Action Analytical Essay by Nicky

Human Rights and Affirmative Action
An analytical essay discussing the philosophy of human rights in society.
# 149576 | 1,367 words | 10 sources | APA | 2011 | US
Published on Dec 23, 2011 in Philosophy (History)


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Description:

This paper is analytical piece utilizing various philosophical text to understand the notion of human rights in a society. Looking at various theories and perspectives, the writer weaves between Plato, Kant, Hobbes and many others. Bringing the debate to a modern issue, the paper looks at the notion of Affirmative Action and how that effects society.

From the Paper:

"In modern, pluralistic societies, the notion of natural rights within the social and business organizational structure are still debated. However, rather than simply viewing class distinction, contemporary human rights tends to focus upon the concept of equality in pay, gender, ethnicity and cultural background - lumped together, affirmative action plans to mitigate past inconsistencies and ensure appropriate structures within the workplace arena. The actual term, "Affirmative Action," takes the concept of human rights and refers to policies that take race, ethnicity, general or other diverse characteristics into consideration in an attempt to promote equal opportunity. The focus ranges from education, employment, public contracting, to health programs. In effect, more than anything else, the attempt is to redress the sins of the past, where decisions were made based on diversity, and numbers of qualified individuals denied opportunities (ACR Institute; Plous, 2003).
"Some of the most recent and infamous opinions of human rights have been expressed by Martin Luther King Jr. Not only does he apply the notion of divine authority to human rights, he also applies this notion to governing laws as well. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, King makes a distinction between a just and unjust law, stating "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." King applies further definition to just and unjust laws by referencing a man who preceded him by centuries, Thomas Aquinas (Dawson, et.al., n.d.)."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • American Civil Rights Institute, Cited in: http://www.acri.org/
  • Bakanic, V. (2008). Prejudice: Attitudes About Race, Class and Gender. Prentice-Hall.
  • Dawson, C., et.al. (n.d.). "Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail." Helium. Cited in: http://www.helium.com/items/811404-literary-analysis-letter-from-birmingham-jail-by-martin-luther-king-jr
  • Froomkin, D. (July 23, 1998). "Welfare's Changing Face." WashingtonPost.Com. Cited In: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/welfare/welfare.htm
  • Gurin, P., et.al. (2003). "The Benefits of Diversity..." Journal of Social Issues. Cited in:http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pgurin/benefits.html

Cite this Analytical Essay:

APA Format

Human Rights and Affirmative Action (2011, December 23) Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/human-rights-and-affirmative-action-149576/

MLA Format

"Human Rights and Affirmative Action" 23 December 2011. Web. 23 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/human-rights-and-affirmative-action-149576/>

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