for prof maurice only

1. The right not to be subject to “Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” is a major international human rights provision. Write an essay addressing whether you think the liberal universalist model or the cultural relativist model (or an integration of the two) better informs your approach to resolve each of the following two cases that concern the violation of this human right (or animal right when it is being applied to animals). In your response, draw upon the arguments made by Donnelly, Renteln, and An-Na’im to comment on these two cases on whether you think each practice constitutes a violation of this human right or animal right and should be abolished without question, or if you think we need to employ a cross-cultural approach to deepen our understanding of the practice in order to resolve the issue. (Note: in your thesis statement, be sure to identify which author(s)’s views better help inform and support your position on the two models as you decide on each case)

Case A: amputation of the right hand for theft according to Shari’a, the Islamic law

Case B: the Santeria’s religious ritual of public animal sacrifices that took place in

Florida (refer to class handout for the story; digital copy available on

Blackboard)

The right not to be subject to “Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” Is a human right that was bestowed onto all humans by the United Nations in 1987. We often run into issues with multicultural populations as to whether or not we should be sensitive to cultures that have acts that could be seen as cruel to another culture. In the cultural relativism view one would argue that we should at least look why these cultures have these cruel practices. I believe that when we as a society talk about “Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” when talking about humans or any other animal should use a more liberal universalism approach. The definition of cruel should universal and held to the strictest standard of the time. Examining two cases, Case A the amputation of the right hand for theft according to Shari’a, the Islamic law and Case B the Santeria’s religious ritual of public animal sacrifices that took place in Florida, it will be easy to see why Liberal Universalism is the best approach to the