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Unit 37 • Class 12Compulsory English (Eng.004)
Essay 5: Human Rights and the Age of Inequality
निबन्ध ५: मानव अधिकार र असमानताको युग
Samuel Moyn’s critical historical essay examining how the human rights movement struggled to address widening global economic inequality under neoliberal market regimes.
Lesson Summary & Key Concepts
Legal scholar and historian Samuel Moyn provides a critical assessment of the modern human rights project. He demonstrates that while post-World War II human rights movements succeeded in defining baseline political protections, they proved entirely toothless in checking the explosive rise of socioeconomic inequality under market fundamentalism. Moyn calls for an expanded human rights framework capable of tackling systemic wealth disparity.
Core Themes & Main Ideas
1
The historical relationship between international human rights and political economy
2
The contrast between post-war national welfare states and neoliberal globalization
3
The limitation of human rights: providing a floor against extreme destitution without a ceiling on wealth
4
Roosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights and its forgotten egalitarian aspirations
5
The parable of Herodotus: why moral shaming alone cannot dismantle entrenched economic power
6
Human rights challenges in developing societies, with specific focus on Nepal
Key Figures & Historical / Literary Personalities
Samuel MoynHistorian, legal scholar, and essayist
Critiques the institutional complacency of contemporary human rights movements in the face of runaway capitalism.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)32nd President of the United States
Proposed the 1944 "Second Bill of Rights" emphasizing economic security, employment, education, and healthcare.
Solon and Croesus (via Herodotus)Ancient Athenian lawgiver and wealthy King of Lydia
Used by Moyn to show that moral philosophical critique (Solon) merely humbles vanity, whereas political-economic power (Persian armies) actually transforms structures.
Textbook Exercises & Solutions
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High-Yield Exam Focus Questions (1)
Practice questions curated specifically for Essay 5: Human Rights and the Age of Inequality.
Exam FocusExam Preparation Question5 Marks
Exam Rationale: CDC Specification Grid Section 2 (Literature - Essays): Samuel Moyn’s historical inquiry into the limitations of human rights amidst widening economic disparities.
Model Answer & Key Marking Points:
Key Criteria Needed for Full Marks:
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Quick Revision Takeaways
Common Exam Pitfalls to Avoid
⚠️ Common Error: Assuming Moyn opposes human rights or considers them useless.
✓ Correct Approach: Moyn strongly supports human rights, but critiques their structural neglect of economic inequality.
Why: He advocates for an expanded movement that merges civil liberties with aggressive economic justice.