The Significance and Limitations of the “World Declaration of Human Rights”

On the basis of the 18th century's theories of human rights, the 1948 “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” has pushed the human rights to a new stage in both scope and profundity. However, there is time limitation. For instance, the source of human rights is thought to be the “Heaven” but not the society, and the collective human rights are not accepted. The nature of human rights is the relationship of individuals, communities and the whole society. Correctly understanding and dealing with the relationship between rights and powers is the necessary condition for promoting and protecting human rights.