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Individual rights

Definition

Individual rights refer to inherent entitlements or freedoms possessed by individuals, which are protected from infringement by governments or other entities. These include but are not limited to rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and equality before the law.

Analogy

Individual rights are like personal boundaries that define what others cannot cross; they protect our autonomy and ensure fairness in society.

Related terms

Natural Rights: Fundamental human rights believed to be inherent in all individuals regardless of societal structures or legal systems. Enlightenment thinkers often argued for these natural rights as a basis for individual liberties.

Social Contract: A concept developed by Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, suggesting that individuals voluntarily surrender certain liberties to live within an organized society governed by agreed-upon rules.

Declaration of Independence: The document adopted by American colonists in 1776 that declared their independence from Britain and emphasized certain individual rights such as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.