That's a very sensible question, thank you. And it's a hard one to answer. Of course, cultural values can conflict with human rights. But your question goes deeper than that. The West is the prime supporter of gay rights. It is also a prime supporter of anti-polygamy rules. Doesn't this smack of cultural violence against African cultural values that are opposed to homosexuality, and favour polygamy?

I think we have to look at these quite different issues seperatly. The very basis of human rights is the individual and their preferences. My sexuality, therefore, is my business. I might choose to be practicing homosexual, I might not. As long as what I choose doesn't harm anyone, it's my business alone.

Polygamy is rather different. Here, we may well violate the reason why individual rights are so important. That is the attainment of peace. A man and his women (or woman and her men in some cases) may all agree to the arrangement, but that doesn't make it right. Widely practiced, polygamy is like to cause unrest. You might find some good evidence for this in the Utah, USA debate when the Mormons were barred from practicing it. I don't really know. But I can imagine that the wide practice of polygamy would lead to a shortage of sexual and life partners for the poor (wo/men) left out. This is likely to cause unrest. Also, the gene pool will thin out which would be beyond the general interest of any society.

Christopher NOCK

Probably the problem is related to the need to distinguish individual human rights and collective rights and their consequences. Is not it easier to respect laws that apply more to the status of individuals than to whole groups?

Collective rights, and it certainly belongs to the issue of polygamy, about which you write, have not received a reliable reception in the common system of human rights protection, as well as in regional systems.

By the way, it would be worth considering whether the issue of culturally polygamy embedded by you does not violate the individual rights of other people? An interesting and courageous contribution to further discussion.

Hi Nock

Its getting more intereting with you suggeting that we should look at these quite differetly. Gayism is now becoming a collective group and its not an individualistic case any more. In the rurla villages of Ghana some forigners are using money as a bait to intruduce young boys into it. In such cases are their right not being walked upon because of lack of money. These are case of these young once not have a right.

Secondly if a woman decides to be a second wife is that not her right?

Hi Osobka,

From the data set I have gathered, culturally most second wifes i spoke to hade no problem with it whilst only 10 % of the first wivies had problem. most side they are happy only if their husbands will give them equal attention. but am still gathering more.

Cheers

Hi Osobka,

From the data set I have gathered, culturally most second wifes i spoke to hade no problem with it whilst only 10 % of the first wivies had problem. most side they are happy only if their husbands will give them equal attention. but am still gathering more.

Cheers

Allow me to address your question relative to evolution. Some background:

According to the constructal law (a recent discovery in thermodynamics), “For a flow system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve freely such that it provides greater access to its currents.”

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19420889.2016.1172159

Relative to “human rights” (aka “unalienable Rights: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”): For human flow to persist in time (to live) [Life], it must evolve freely [Liberty] such that it provides greater access [the pursuit of] to its currents [Happiness].

https://www.academia.edu/37021128/Scientific_Proof_of_Our_Unalienable_Rights

Relative to the evolution of social systems: For the flow of “cultural values” to persist in time (to live), it must evolve freely such that it provides greater access to its currents of social harmony.

Over the millenniums cultural values evolved relative to isolated social groups. From the evolution of technology, over the last few decades the world became a local neighborhood at the individual level. According to the constructal law, the flow of this young neighborhood to persist in time (to live), it must evolve freely such that it provides greater access to its currents of global harmony. Although there’s a social inertia preserving historical customs, but this inertia should morph, in units of generational time, into a rich blend of global cultural unity; otherwise, with today’s technology, humanity has the power of self-extinction. Extinction is also part of evolution and in either case, the evolution of the universe will continue regardless.

Cultural values are time specific and originate to maintain some kind of decorum in the society at one time. As times and circumstances change, they need addition, subtraction, improvisation or reinterpretation. Today's culture should reflect today's values. The only constant thing is change and intelligent cultures are flexible and adaptive to change.

Hi Kwabena, it's very simple really. Of course, anyone offering cash for sexual relations is wrong. Or seeking to draw the young into inappropriate practices. So, I don't see what the issue is there. You seem to want to then say the practices are inherently evil. They are not, at least not in a rights based society.

As for ladies who like polygamous relationships, what I say about polygamy applies equally to them.

Nock

Sometimes cultural value established against scientific temper and human right. Cultural values and tradition ofcouse important to know human civilization but it doesn't make any sense if it prevail against human right.