Human Rights and Ethics

Human Rights and Ethics

The concept of human rights — the idea that every human being possesses certain inalienable rights simply by virtue of being human — is one of the most influential moral and political ideas in modern history. But what are human rights? Where do they come from? Are they grounded in nature, reason, divine command, or social convention? This lesson examines the philosophical and theological foundations of human rights, the key documents and declarations, the relationship between rights and religious belief, and the tensions that arise when rights claims conflict.

Natural Rights Theory

The concept of natural rights holds that human beings possess certain rights by nature — rights that are not granted by governments or social institutions but are inherent in human nature itself.