ID | 122436 |
Title Proper | Origins and evolution of the legal notion of rights |
Language | ENG |
Author | Gourdon, Come Carpentier de |
Publication | 2013. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | In ancient and medieval western societies rights were prerogatives enjoyed by the privileged minorities and by free men, as opposed to slaves and bonded labour. By definition rights were thus unequally distributed as males had more than women or children on whom within their respective families, they had nearly absolute authority, just as religious and land-owning (feudal) dignitaries held power over those below them in the social hierarchy. Britain's coat of arms carries the medieval motto: Dieu et mon droit, signifying "God and what I am entitled to" by feudal or customary law or by divine right. |
`In' analytical Note | Dialogue Vol. 14, No.4; Apr-Jun 2013: p.30-44 |
Journal Source | Dialogue Vol. 14, No.4; Apr-Jun 2013: p.30-44 |
Key Words | Medieval Western Societies Rights ; Social Hierarchy ; Customary Law ; Divine Rights ; Christian Church ; Democratization ; Human Rights |