Rights - CF Flashcards
(43 cards)
What are rights, fundamentally?
Rights are entitlements essential for dignity, liberty, and participation in a political community.
John Locke on rights?
“No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s key line on rights?
“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
List key features of rights.
Inherent, inalienable, universal, indivisible, interconnected, equal, enforceable, and dynamic.
What does ‘interconnected’ mean in the context of rights?
Realization of one right depends on others—e.g., right to health depends on access to clean water.
What are political rights?
Right to vote, contest elections, freedom of speech—essential for democracy.
What are economic rights?
Right to work, fair wages, housing, and education.
What are moral rights?
Based on ethical reasoning—e.g., Kant’s categorical imperative.
What are social rights?
Right to health, education, and social security.
Core claim of natural rights theory?
Rights are inherent, pre-legal, and based on human dignity.
What did Jeremy Bentham call natural rights?
“Nonsense upon stilts.”
Link to Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?
UDHR reflects natural rights philosophy—life, liberty, security.
What is the legal theory of rights?
Rights exist because they are legally recognized and enforceable.
Ronald Dworkin’s view?
“Rights are trumps” over utility or state convenience.
John Austin on legal rights?
“Rights are commands backed by the sovereign’s power.”
What does Henry Maine say about legal evolution?
“The history of law is the history of civilization.”
What is cultural relativism in rights?
Rights vary by cultural and historical context—rejects universality.
Clifford Geertz’s critique of universalism?
“Universal rights may impose ethnocentric Western values.”
Amartya Sen’s reply to relativism?
Capabilities and dignity require universal human rights.
Key idea of social welfare theory?
Rights are tools for maximizing collective welfare.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s concept?
“Four Freedoms” including freedom from want—economic security as freedom.
What does Dworkin mean by rights as “trumps”?
Individual rights override collective goals or utilitarian calculations.
Example of Dworkin’s trump theory in practice?
Right to privacy should prevail over national surveillance programs.
Alasdair MacIntyre’s communitarian quote?
“What am I to do?” depends on “Of what story… do I find myself a part?”
