BETWEEN THE LETTER AND LIFE: HUMAN RIGHTS AS A FRUSTRATED PROMISE OF THE BOURGEOIS STATE

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the normative formulation of human rights, their historical origins, and the influence exerted by the bourgeoisie in their constitution. It also examines the gap between the universalist ideal enshrined in human rights documents and contemporary Brazilian social reality, marked by profound political, economic, and social inequalities, seeking to understand the reasons for their recurring non-implementation. For this study, a theoretical-critical approach was adopted, based on classical and modern authors such as Karl Marx, Adam Smith, and Eric Hobsbawm, as well as on scientific articles published in Brazil in specialized journals and statistical data. The results indicate a structural divide between formal legal equality and concrete material inequality, which is a determining factor in the realization of Human Rights as a universal ideal.