Universality of human rights and cultural relativism

Since the time when human rights emerged as an idea and became an area of law, it has not been subject to a certain uniform asslication. In order to prevent this situation, discussions were held in both theoretical and institutional dimensions. The principle of universality, which was realized within the framework of human rights law and emerged with the aim of gaining a uniform asslication, has become one of the cornerstones of human rights law. The principle of universality has been institutionalized in parallel with the institutionalization of human rights within the law. Although the principle of universality is one of the cornerstones of human rights law, there are also opinions that criticize the principle of universality. The idea of cultural relativism, which emerged against the principle of universality, also constitutes a critique of the principle of universality. The conflict between the idea of cultural relativism and the principle of universality shows its effect in human rights texts. This conflict requires an examination in terms of human rights. Since human rights correspond to an extremely wide area of law, examining the principle of cultural relativism and universality also aims to contribute to the development of human rights law. As a matter of fact, as human rights, the main subject of which is human, are exposed to theoretical and practical conflicts, people are the people who are most affected by this conflict. In this study, the necessity to examine whether it is possible to reach a consensus in order to eliminate the ongoing conflict by examining the theoretical foundations of the principle of universality and the thought of cultural relativism, and then its practical reflections on legal texts were examined. In this context, the aims served by the principle of cultural relativity and universality in today's conditions were revealed.