Human rights postulates of liberal democracy
and the rule of law are also being challenged. In
fact, the emphasis on the individual rights may
contradict the democratic theory. The idea that
the individual has rights which he/she can plead
against the state is sustained by a conviction that
the single person is of such an intrinsic worth that
he/she deserves to be protected from the harmful
consequences of a majority or abstract will. Instead,
it may be that the group rights make the individual
to realize his/her true potential by achieving his/
her interests in a given group.
This understanding has led to the emergence
of group rights, particularly as emphasized
by the developing world.