On October 5, University of Washington Philosophy Professor William Talbott discussed the evolution of human rights. During his address, Dr. Talbott outlined the emergence of human rights ideas and norms throughout human history. He noted that their origins cannot be traced through any religious or cultural traditions, considering none have ever been consistent rights such as freedom of religion or the right to not be enslaved. He gave examples such as the discrimination of women in every culture to demonstrate that the right to not be discriminated against could not have come from any traditional cultural norms.

He posed the question, “where do these ideas come from?” He noted that the development of these rights was not a top-down process – i.e. government leaders have not advocated for such rights historically – but instead a bottom-up process. He explained how collective action problems brought about the need for laws that prevent killing, stealing and pollution, in order to maintain order. He posited that this could be articulated through “the Golden Rule,” to treat your neighbor as you would yourself, in order to further the progression of society.

Dr. Talbott applied Kant’s universalizability principle to real world scenarios, such as landmark U.S. Court Cases that establish a standard for American rights. He then poses that from those interpreted rights penumbral rights evolved- the right to privacy, or the right to end one’s own life.

Dr. Talbott concluded that all of these progressions conform to Martin Luther King’s belief that “the universal arch curves toward justice.” However, he says, for that to be the case, we must not sit back and watch “The Greatest Show on Earth.” We must actively ask, “What can we do,” to improve the rights of all humans, in order for us to continue the evolution of human rights.