Aidan Rankin
Dr. Atul Keshavji Shah
Rights and responsibilities tend to be contrasted with each other, or viewed as opposite poles. Instead, they should be viewed as complementary principles which support, or better still are part of, each other. The emergence of a rightsbased culture marked a radical progression from a society based purely on obligation, in which some were over-privileged and others unable to rise to their potential. Yet the problems we face today - not least the ecological problems - require us to move towards a rights and responsibilities-based culture.
Our rights depend on, and reinforce, our responsibilities to be active citizens, rather than apathetic or self-absorbed, and to regain control over our lives so that, individually and collectively, we minimise harm to others.
The Jain tradition has always championed individual rights, as well as equality between men and women, majority and minority populations. But it sees the freedom and dignity of the human person as indistinguishable from his or her connection to all other humans, and all beings. There is also a strong duty of cosmic responsibility and accountability accorded to humans- - their intelligence has been endowed so that they act with the highest sense of care and compassion. Far from being mystical, as it might sound, this translates into the simple principles of social solidarity, respect for the rights of others and acknowledgement of responsibilities towards fellow men, women and children - and the environment that supports all life.
This means that we need to learn to think about rights in a new way, that is holistic rather than specific, in which we draw no distinctions between (for example) civil liberties for humans and cruelty-free farming methods, freedom from discrimination and the protection of ecosystems and habitats. A good starting point would be a Declaration of Human Responsibilities to balance, rather than counteract, our codified human rights.
Paper declarations are worth little without a cultural shift, a change in the way we think, so that we place rights in a broader context and cease to equate compromise with weakness or simple assertiveness with strength. Here the Jain concept of ‘Careful Action’ can help us. Instead of merely demanding the ‘right to choose’ an action, we need to ask questions of ourselves and each other about that action:
What effect will it have on us?
What effect will it have on others?
What effect will it have on society?
What effect will it have on the planet?
What effect will it have a generation or more from now?
Such questions give us a broader view of ourselves and our society. Simultaneously they affirm our individual liberties and the connections with others that sustain us and give our lives meaning.
- A Declaration of Human Responsibilities, including responsibility for animal welfare and the environment. Here, Jain texts such as the Acharanga Sutra can provide valuable guidance.
- A cultural shift from narrow individualism to co-operation - including co-operation with the rest of nature.
- ‘Principle of Careful Action’ to be built into all policy-making.
