Philosophy 338 | Summer 2009 Brandon Morgan-Olsen | 8.

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Anthony Langlois, “Human Rights without Democracy? A Critique of the

Separationist Thesis”

 (1) Introduction [990-993]

 Generally accepted legitimacy of democracy Sections
(and
only democracy) (1) Introduction [990-993]
 Western and non-western democracies (2) The Separationist Thesis
[993-995]
 Ambiguities of internationalization of democracy
 Similarities w/ respect to human rights (3) An Evolving Global
 Failure to note ambiguities (esp. in HR discourse)
Culture of Human Rights
as leading to undermining of veracity of rights as
[995-1000]
rights and reducing importance of democracy(4) Sidestepping
 (2) The Separationist Thesis [993-995] Democracy [1000-1002]
 Neo-imperialism argument (and separationist
(5) Democracy as Neo-
response)
Imperialism [1002-1005]
 “Asian values” debate and the “clash of civilizations”
 Radical and fundamental change wrought (6) by Critical Counter
the separationist thesis Arguments [1005-1006]
 (3) An Evolving Global Culture of Human Rights(7) Making Sense of West-
[995-1000] centrism [1006-1008]
 Relative power of human rights position (8) The Historically
internationally Interdependent
 HR successes undermining assumptions/claims of
Development of Human
the international relations realist Rights and Democracy
 Threefold significance of HR achievements: [1008-1010]
 (1) recognition of importance of HR
(9) A Common Liberal
 (2) global institutionalization of HR
 (3) achievements in domestic bodies ofOntology
law [1010-1013]
 Relative lack of recognition of importance (10) The Necessity of
of democracy
Democracy for Human
 Role of realpolitik in subscriptions to HR policy
 Progress towards democracy vs. progress Rights
towards HR
[1014-1017]
 Linking HR progress and aid (and moral duplicity)
(11) The Undesirability of
 Conceptual separation between democracy and HR
Benevolent
 (4) Sidestepping Democracy [1000-1002]
Authoritarianism [1017-
 Pragmatic argument for separationist position
 Majoritarian, consensual, consociational, limited, aspiring, executive,
etc. democracies
 Economic growth aiding development of democracy vs. democracy
destabilizing economy
 Possibility of benevolent authoritarian regime (USSR example)
 Antagonistic, but strategically inclined towards HR, authoritarian states
 Movement towards democracy as delaying HR advances
 (5) Democracy as Neo-Imperialism [1002-1005]
 Again, Western-centrism of democracy
Philosophy 338 | Summer 2009 Brandon Morgan-Olsen | 8.14

 Dangers of globalization (i.e., reactionary backlashes)

 Reasons (self-interested and otherwise) for resistance to democracy
 Two assumed premises
 (1) democracy is “Western-centric”
 (2) human rights are not Western-centric
 Major problem: difficulty of separating democratic values and HR
values
 Confusion between descriptive/aspirational elements of normative
democracy/human rights discourse
 (6) Critical Counter Arguments [1005-1006]
 Reduction of human rights to human rights standards/norms
 Fivefold line of argument:
 1. Both democracy and HR are western-centric
 2. Historical development of ideas & practices of democracy/HR as
intrinsically linked
 3. Philosophical grounds of democracy and HR are the same
 4. Human rights outside of a democracy are norms/standards (little
more than charity)
 5. Liberal democracy is more desirable than a benevolent
dictatorship
 (7) Making Sense of West-centrism [1006-1008]
 Investigating the idea of “Western values”
 “Asian values debate”; problem of representation (voices of
authoritarianism resisting democracy)
 West-centrism in terms of:
 1. Origins (democracy and HR both western)
 2. dominant practice (democracy and HR both western)
 3. Philosophical content (democracy and HR both stem from political
liberalism)
 (8) The Historically Interdependent Development of
Human Rights and Democracy [1008-1010]
 1. Development in tandem of HR/democracy
 2. Common agenda of HR/democracy
 Trial of Charles I, Virginia Declaration, etc.
 Invoking the UDHR
 (9) A Common Liberal Ontology [1010-1013]
 Liberalism:
 Individualism
 Egalitarianism
 Universalism
 Meliorism
 Both democracy and HR as tied to/founded in liberalism
 Liberalism/Human Rights connection as derivation/identification;
Liberalism/Democracy connection as composite/syncretistic
Philosophy 338 | Summer 2009 Brandon Morgan-Olsen | 8.14

 Human rights as necessary for liberal democracy (If democracy, then

HR . . .)
 1. Civil, political, social, cultural, group rights all important to
properly functioning democracy
 2. Rights providing economic preconditions for democracy (basic
goods, etc.)
 “If you have democracy, you have human rights. While this is a convincing
sense in which human rights and democracy are inseparable, and is thus a
problem to the proponents of the separationist thesis, such proponents may
still claim part of their original agenda. They may argue that, yes, if you want
democracy you must have human rights. But do human rights necessarily
entail democracy? The argument can be made that the answer is no” (1013).
 (10) The Necessity of Democracy for Human Rights
[1014-1017]
 [If Human Rights, then Democracy?]
 Nature of a right vs. nature of a norm/standard
 Norm/standard does not imply substantive claim-making ability
 Being allowed/permitted vs. actually having a right
 Rights require governmental accountability/feedback mechanism from
people
 (11) The Undesirability of Benevolent Authoritarianism
[1017-1019]
 Benevolent dictatorship/authoritarianism is not as good as liberal
democracy
 Trade/human rights connection (as illegitimate)
 (12) Conclusion [1019]