Approximately 30 College of General Studies students exercised their right to free assembly in attending a lecture about the "Revolutionary Origins of Human Rights" Monday night. History Professor Lynn Hunt discussed the issue as part of a series of individual CGS lectures. In connection with the beginning of Women's History Month, Hunt explored the evolution of the concept of "human rights," especially focusing on women's rights. According to Hunt, the question human rights has always been one of the most discussed and least understood issues in philosophy. She added that rights have not been considered neutral and have a long history. In her lecture, Hunt tried to trace that legacy. Hunt explained that, although the concept of human rights has always existed as a philosophical idea, it was not until the French Revolution in 1789 that those rights became a concrete concern. Hunt emphasized the many questions that arose when human rights first became an issue. The problem centered around whether to extend those rights to minority groups. "It's like opening a Pandora's box," she said, explaining that no one anticipated the implications surrounding the subject. Hunt then talked about the status of women, stressing that they were not originally considered as one of the groups in question. She noted that although women were suppressed during the French Revolution, human rights allowed them to organize and demand their political rights. Hunt explained that the French Revolution saw the birth of feminism as an explicit political position. Hunt also explored the consequences of human rights in modern politics. She said the problems society is facing now are especially related to the issue of abortion and euthanasia. The attendees responded to the lecture enthusiastically. "She was excellent," CGS student Doris Samitz said. "She made her talk very relevant and related it to present day problems." Hunt noted that last night marked the first time she gave a lecture within the special program CGS offers. "It was very interesting to have an adult audience, with people who are really interested in the subject and are not doing it only for a grade," she added.
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