Abstract
The universality of human rights has been frequently questioned since the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The traditional concept of Human Rights is implied within a theory of moral universalism, as it believes in the absolute existence of a common, natural and moral code that is integral to humanity as a whole. The contemporary concept of Human Rights follows a doctrine of human rights and duties that tends to promote this belief in the existence of a universal moral order, where each individual possesses fundamental and equal moral status, and is also relevant and adapted to most traditional societies. Furthermore, it is equally concerned, if not more so, by the implication of the state in terms of repartition of equality and individuals' personal freedom. Some people actually argue that the UDHR clearly derives from a human rights doctrine that is simply and exclusively of western origin. India, for instance, has an extensive, heterogeneous and rich tradition of philosophical thoughts spanning over for more than two thousand years, which includes comprehensive and significant religious traditions, and seems to have largely ignored the metaphysical and epistemological questions that have generally taken the centre stage in the West through the centuries.
