Natural Rights
Definition
Natural rights are basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are considered entitled, regardless of nationality, sex, ethnicity, religion, or other characteristics. These often include rights to life, liberty and property.
Analogy
Think about a game where every player starts with certain resources - like in Monopoly where everyone begins with a set amount of money. In the game of life according to Locke, natural rights are those starting resources - you're born with them simply because you're human!
Related terms
Human Rights: Rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity etc., encompassing civil and political rights as well as economic social and cultural rights. Natural rights form the basis for many human rights concepts.
Constitutionalism: The belief that governments should operate according to an established constitution that guarantees individual natural rights.
Declaration of Independence: A document declaring American independence from British rule; it was heavily influenced by John Locke's ideas on government and natural rights.
"Natural Rights" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (5)
- Which Enlightenment philosopher promoted the concept of natural rights and the social contract theory?
- Which Enlightenment thinker argued that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of individuals, including life, liberty, and property?
- Which political philosopher argued for a social contract and the natural rights of life, liberty and property?
- Which philosopher’s theory championed life, liberty, and property as natural rights during the Enlightenment?
- Which work by John Locke discusses natural rights to life, liberty, and property?
Resources
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