blog




  • Essay / Analysis of the first generation of human rights

    However, it is more relevant to mention a real case, where hybrid epistemologies worked. For example, the EZLN uprising of 1994 had a manifesto that mentioned human dignity in the logic of tzeltales, in which rights exist in their exercise; while they are practiced and necessary to achieve an equitable and inclusive society. This manifesto, rather than recognizing universal rights, confers "pragmatic" rights, which should be exercised when necessary, because it assumes that at a given moment, thanks to social and cultural practices, an equitable and sustainable society could be possible (Goodale & Joyeux: 2007). One of the main premises defended in the aforementioned document is (and builds on this conception of human rights) “Another possible world; a world where all worlds can adapt.” In short, if we fail to find a reconciliation between “essential sameness” and “essential difference” (Goodale: 2009). These two constructions have the same roots; both are based on how people encounter and experience the similarities and differences between “ourselves” and “themselves”. If we fail to find a synthesis (in the Hegelian sense) of the different epistemologies, we will not be able to establish an ontological polisemantic framework which, rather than being universally valid, could be internationally applicable, inclusive and