The Nation-State and Human Rights

Abstract

In Japan, human rights are in crisis due to the compulsory participation in national flag and national anthem, especially in schools. Human rights are weak before the state, because they are justified only through the recognition of nation-state. Outside the nation-state, human rights are meaningless, so to make human rights universal and real, it is ne-sessary to expand the political community beyond the nation-state. However, this subject is not easy, because the power of nationalism as a state-consciousness is very strong even in democratic states. This was shown by American people at the time of the 9.1 Incident.
In order to overcome nationalism, firstly it is necessary to separate community from state. It is because as the communitarian says there is an important factor in community to prevent nationalism and totalitarianism by placing individuals in community. We have to give a cosmopolitan character to community-situated individuals. Such reality is increasing through the reinforcement of economic mutual dependence at the global level.
Globalization is making new orders and new communities, subdividing nation-states and old formes of communities. It also presents new world-wide problems such as the disparity of wealth and environmental issues.
We have to establish a new order and idea of global justice which can resolve such is-sues. Only by confronting these problems, can we make human rights universal.