Are There Any Natural Rights?

In one of the most valued and important documents known to the United States, known as The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson states that “all men are created equal” and that we have rights “unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” these rights are called natural rights. These are believed to be god given, some believe that we were given these rights so we could be the person God made us to be. A person should respect these rights as well as others opinions.

Cohen defines rights as “a claim that one party may exercise against another”(339). He explains that there are many different types of rights: some moral, some legal; some held by a single person, others held by groups; all differing in what the right entitles one to. Above all this, however, Cohen stresses that rights are a concept rooted in morality. They arise out of the necessity for self-governance among a community, providing standards of conduct that beget personal protection and safety. Therefore, the argument continues that the holders of rights must only be those who are capable of comprehending such concepts as morality and duty and right against wrong. After all, standards can only be held to subjects capable of understanding and achieving them. Because humans are the only

In August 2015, the case Miller V Davis brought to light the complicated relationship between law and morality. Indeed, Mrs Davis a county clerk in Rowan county (Kentucky), is being sued for not delivering marriage licences to same sex couples as she believes that homosexuality is morally wrong. Thus, despite the fact that same-sex marriage has been made legal by the U.S Supreme Court since June 2015. Ought individuals to apply the law though it is in inadequacy with their moral beliefs? Do the law should be totally free from any moral influence? Many legal scholars have argued on these questions, as well as trying to define the terms “law” and “morality”. While no one has agreed to a universal definition, law can be defined as a “body of rules, whether proceeding from formal enactment or from custom, which a particular state or community recognizes as binding on its members or subjects”. On the other hand, morality is referred to as an “ethical wisdom” , the set of common values unifying a society. This essay will discuss the role of morality in the law, while analysing different legal school of thoughts arguing on the topic. First of all, positivists such as Bentham, Austin and Hart, argued that morality should not interfere with the law as it is created by a legitimate authority. On the other hand, naturalist theorists, such as Aristotle, Fuller and Dworkin, believed in the existence of a “higher law”, highly influenced by morals, has to be integrated in a legal system

The Americas clearly had justification to declare independence from the cruel rule of Britain for they were unfair, did not care for us and thought of us as lessers, and they took away our natural rights. The Americas had every right to fight for their freedom and independance, and they did. Britain was unfair and had taken everything that the Americas had worked hard for and took it for themselves. They were merely tyrants who ruled for their own benefit, for example, they had cut off the Americas from trading with anyone else other than Britain and even taxed them without any say from the Americas.

These rights are said to be inscribed in the hearts of all men (Seagrave 2011). Natural law is God’s law that every man can know.

When it's necessary to break apart from something we have to show a respect towards other people's opinions and explain why we did it. We know that it's obvious, that everyone is created equal and that there are certain rights that should not be messed with or shortened. Governments get their power from the people, and when government becomes destructive, it’s up to the colonist to change it. King of Great Britain abused his power, so the colonies choose to break up.

The English Bill of Rights, The US Constitution, and The Declaration of the Rights of Man all exhibited the guaranteed natural rights that people should have without question. The definition of natural rights is rights that people have

People are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. It is the right of the

In this paper, I will argue that a combination of Natural Law Theory and Utilitarianism best captures what should be required in terms of respecting natural rights.

This paper will demonstrate how Hart’s account of the relationship between law and morality shows an understanding of how they both work together yet can also work as separate entities. It will take a specific look into the internal point of view to aid the understanding of why

One of the main reasons why human rights have been put in place is to protect the public life and public space of every individual being. One fundamental characteristic of human rights is that they are equal rights; they are aimed at providing protection to every person in an equal way. These rights have been entrenched through laws that are passed by states and international conventions. Human rights laws have evolved over time, and have been shaped by several factors, including philosophical theories in the past. This paper looks at the theories of two philosophers, Emmanuel Kant and John Stuart Mills, and how their teachings can be used to explain the sources of human rights. Kant’s moral philosophy is very direct in its

In other words, if I have a moral right to do something then another person or group have the moral duty not to interfere with me or the duty to provide positive outcome for me. Another feature of moral right is that person that have the independence and fairness to pursuit their interest in free. This means persons have a right to choose what interest they may or may not desire to have. A persons interest is not subordinate to any other expect for special and exceptionally weighty reasons. The last feature of moral right is that it provides a foundation for someone justifying their actions and for requesting protection or help from others. This in turns mean, if I attain the moral right to do something, then I have the moral justification for doing it. Also, if I have the right to do something it means that persons do not posse the justification of interfering with me to take part in my

The doctrine of human rights were created to protect every single human regardless of race, gender, sex, nationality, sexual orientation and other differences. It is based on human dignity and the belief that no one has the right to take this away from another human being. The doctrine states that every ‘man’ has inalienable rights of equality, but is this true? Are human rights universal? Whether human rights are universal has been debated for decades. There have been individuals and even countries that oppose the idea that human rights are for everybody. This argument shall be investigated in this essay, by: exploring definitions and history on human rights, debating on whether it is universal while providing examples and background

To a great extent, the theory of personhood rests on a breaking down and clarification of what it is to be an agent. Human rights, as understood by Griffin, are protections of our status as functional human agents, grounded in our interests in autonomy, liberty and the minimum material provision requisite to make the exercise of our agency real and possible. Griffin acknowledges that the human interests in autonomy and liberty are not the only important interests that exist, but it is the protection of these particular interests that generate a human right . In this sense, autonomy and liberty are the special, determinant grounding elements identified by Griffin as the interests required for normative agency.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” These opening words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights express a concept of man which underpins the framework of human rights embodied in the Universal Declaration and the two international covenants of Human Rights. Western political traditions is a concept that it derives from, is in harmony with moral and social teachings to be found in many other traditions and patterns of belief.