On the Right to a Happy Life as a Human Right

A happy life is the pursuit,enjoyment,and realization of ever more complex needs in a circular way under objective conditions In terms of its constituent elements,the right to a happy life,as a human right,not only has the characteristics of moral rights,universal rights,and rights of prevention and cooperation but also contains the three spiritual values of human rights From the perspective of the genealogy of human rights theory,the right to a happy life as a human right is a new human rights bundle with basic,comprehensive,and complex characteristics From the perspective of the basic structure,the right to a happy life,as a human right,constitutes its subject,content,and nature First and foremost,basic human rights stand for consensus at the current primary stage They are fundamental and preliminary,and they are relativistic concepts The largest human right,however,is characterized by complexity,inclusiveness,and systematism,and is an absolute concept From the basic human rights to the largest human rights is a classic expression in different stages of China’s human rights construction It is not only the obligation and commitment in human rights practice,but also a summary of human rights theory,and more importantly,an important theoretical achievement of China’s human rights development in the new era.

On the Teleological Interpretation of the Right to a Happy Life

In his letter to the symposium commemorating the 70thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward that"people’s happy life is the greatest human right".The academic implication of this important exposition is that it puts forward a major concept,the right to a happy life as a human right,in the field of hum an rights.The right to a happy life is the right that people pursue,enjoy and realize a happy life,which belongs to the general right,that is,the"bundle of rights".Teleological interpretation provides a strong defense for the right to a happy life.However,teleological interpretation may bring many risks,which may get the right to a happy life into many dilemmas,such as the loss of dignity due to the degradation of"human"as a tool,the loss ofjustice due to the damage to the human rights of a few individuals or groups,the possible violation of human rights due to the promotion of the expansion of government power,and the difficulty of universal recognition due to differences in the pursuit of happiness and the happiness itself.Therefore,we must adhere to the"people-centered"principle and justice to enhance the government’s serious handling of human rights and reach an overlapping consensus in the pursuit of happiness,so as to restrict the teleological interpretation of the right to a happy life in a rational manner and promote the development of China’s human rights cause.

The Rights Logic of Common Prosperity:Structure,Evolution,and Path to Implementation

The concept of common prosperity embodies the right of the people to a happy life,which is in line with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s proposition that“the people’s happiness is the greatest human right.”Its rights structure has the attributes of collective rights,reflecting the people’s pursuit of material civilization,spiritual civilization,harmony,beauty,and other social values.The realization of these rights is based on individual diligent labor and also entails human rights responsibilities of the state and society.Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee,China has pursued the basic policy of reform and opening-up,dismantling institutional barriers that hindered the development of productivity and the full realization of rights.This has stimulated the initiative,enthusiasm,and creativity of the people in their endeavors and entrepreneurship,leading to a historic leap from standing up to becoming prosperous.The living standards of the people have greatly improved.In the new journey toward achieving the second centenary goal,China should follow the important discourse of General Secretary Xi Jinping on respecting and protecting human rights,take the path of socialist human rights with Chinese characteristics,and better meet the growing aspirations of the people for a better life in the pursuit of high-quality economic development.