Political Philosophy: Liberty and Rights
2. Where Do Rights Come From?
Aeon J. Skoble is a professor of philosophy at Bridgewater State University. His research in moral and political philosophy includes theories of rights, the nature and justification of authority, virtue ethics, and theories of legal interpretation.
Where do rights come from? Prof. Aeon J. Skoble claims there are several types of rights that come from various sources. For instance, voting rights and contract rights come from the legal system. Moral rights are the most controversial, with disagreements about their origin. Fortunately, despite these differences of opinion amongst classical liberals, the various theories of rights are similar in practice.
- The Philosophy of Liberty [Video] An ISIL animated video on the philosophy of liberty and self-ownership.
- Deontological Ethics [Article]: Larry Alexander and Michael Moore provide a concise summary of the philosophy of deontology, as contrasted with consequentialism.
- Rights [Article] A classic piece by Henry Hazlitt on rights and their many conceptions.
- Do Our Rights Come from the Constitution? [Article] Jacob G. Hornberger's look at where our rights come from.
Use these questions to enhance your understanding of the topic. We recommend watching the featured video first; the suggested resources will also help.
