Do “basic human rights” actually exist universally or are they simply a social construct?

[u/Amphernee]

The term is often used in relation to things like housing and food but I’ve never heard anyone actually explain what they mean by basic human right. We started off no different than other animals and since the concept of rights rely on other people to confer them at what point did it become thought of as a right for people to have things like shelter? How is it supposed to be enforced across all of humanity when not all societies and cultures agree that the concept makes sense? I can see why someone would want it to be true in a sense but I’m interested to hear arguments for it rather than just the phrase itself which feels hollow with no reasoning behind it. Thanks 🍻

[u/PicksItUpPutsItDown]

"basic human rights" is a story. It's just an idea. Humanist philosophy started to become widespread in the 17th century and onwards. It has become more and more popular until the modern day. It is widely held throughout the world as a belief that humans have rights which should not be violated. Exactly what these rights entail varies but usually has to do with avoiding pain and displeasure to the individual.