Havel ... invokes ... 'higher law' when he claims that 'human rights, human freedoms . . . and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world . . . while the state is a human creation, human beings are the creation of God.' He seems to be saying that NATO forces were allowed to violate international law because they acted as direct instruments of the 'higher law' of God - a clear-cut case of religious fundamentalism.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Havel suggests human rights stem from a divine source beyond the physical world, implying state laws are subordinate to this higher moral order.
- In plain terms
- Human dignity comes from God, not the state, so moral laws can override human rules.
- What can you take from it?
- Moral authority may supersede political authority.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does a higher law override state law?
- How do we define higher law?
Another view
This view risks justifying violations of established law through subjective religious claims.
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