Philosophy
Postcolonial Critiques of Liberal Universalism in Human Rights
Quick fact
Postcolonial critic Gayatri Spivak famously asked 'Can the subaltern speak?'—and answered no. She argued that when Western frameworks speak for the marginalized, the subaltern's own voice is erased, a mechanism she saw replicated in the universal claims of human rights.
Why this is interesting
When the UN declares human rights universal, are we hearing the voice of all humanity or the echo of a particular cultural tradition?