A pragmatic perspective on trust:universal declaration of human rights

While conducting the research I found that I needed to make trust operational from the pragmatic perspective of individual human beings. I have chosen to use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 (United Nations, 1948, appendix 1) ^{note 2} . Even though the universality of the declaration has been contested since 1948, the text constitutes the only secular instrument that has functioned for over 50 years as a normative reference point for the quality of well-being of people around the world. It is part of the international political discourse as a mechanism of protection for human dignity as well as a tool of empowerment that helps people to realize their rights and articulate their suffering. I have taken the position that for trust to develop human rights have to be respected. The fact that human beings act to secure their survival and well-being will prove to be crucial in constructing the argument that I present here. Therefore the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been chosen as the essential normative perspective for the quality of social interaction, and thus for the potential building or breaking down of trust.