Natural rights was a development from Natural Law. Natural Law was introduced I think by Saadia Gaon and later Maimonides. Then Aquinas developed it into a whole system--which I sadlly enough did not get a chance to study. In any case this led eventually to the John Locke concept of individual rights as being things the government could but should not interfere with. From what I can tell most people want their freedom. This seems clear. But Brett Stevens is noting when rights get out of hand to be demands for free stuff and calling these demands rights.
So my feeling is that rights are important but as limitations of what the government can do--not of what it must provide.
[The basic John Locke idea is the individual gives up certain aspects of his rights in order to create a political entity that is safe to live in. But not all his rights. See the Two Treatises for details.
A later note: I mean to say here that John Locke basing himself on Aquinas and Hobbes made the jump from natural law to natural rights. He was also thinking of state of nature. But his state of nature was slightly different than Hobbes. In Locke's state of nature man has all his natural right and the right to enforce them. But in order to live in society he then gives up some of his right and prerogatives to the government in exchange for the safety of living in a civil society. It is a social contract theory.]
I would love to go into this more but I really recommend to people to learn the Two Treaties by John Locke.
So my feeling is that rights are important but as limitations of what the government can do--not of what it must provide.
[The basic John Locke idea is the individual gives up certain aspects of his rights in order to create a political entity that is safe to live in. But not all his rights. See the Two Treatises for details.
A later note: I mean to say here that John Locke basing himself on Aquinas and Hobbes made the jump from natural law to natural rights. He was also thinking of state of nature. But his state of nature was slightly different than Hobbes. In Locke's state of nature man has all his natural right and the right to enforce them. But in order to live in society he then gives up some of his right and prerogatives to the government in exchange for the safety of living in a civil society. It is a social contract theory.]
I would love to go into this more but I really recommend to people to learn the Two Treaties by John Locke.
