Human Rights & Civil Rights

by John Arthur, Robert Guillaume (Reading)

A "right" is a claim or title to something that cannot justly be denied. A natural right is said to be imbued by nature (or by God); a legal right is bestowed by government. All rights impose a duty on others; liberty rights (or negative rights) impose a duty not to interfere, and entitlement rights (a type of positive rights) require others to provide.

Individual rights morally protect a person against oppression by the powerful (such as the democratic majority, the government, or other holders of power). Civil rights are group-oriented; they are legal rights if government recognizes and enforces them. However, civil rights also are rooted in moral rights (i.e. "human rights") to such things as equal protection of the laws.

Social contract theories say that individuals have natural rights, and that governments exist to protect those rights (e.g. life, liberty, and property). Utilitarians insist that governments bestow rights according to the general welfare. Communitarians believe that rights must be understood against government's need to encourage citizens to lead good lives. The Western tradition of individual rights seeks to limit government power; the U.S. Constitution embraces this tradition, though it also expresses concern for the more utilitarian goal of "the general welfare."

Rights can powerfully conflict, especially as more and more human needs (e.g. food, housing, education, health care) are said to be a matter of human rights. There also are serious controversies about the role of the judiciary in enforcing or implementing rights. Our moral wisdom is seriouslytested by the conflicts between rights, and by disputes about how moral rights are to be implemented in the positive rights of civil law.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

He is a Speaker, an Author and an Expert on Friendship. He's also the author of "Who is your friend?", a book that gives thorough knowledge on friendship and it's importance in our lives. John's passion is to see the timeless friendship laws of God applied in our lives. His favorite quote is, "A life without friendship, is a life without significance."

Reviews

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 2 out of 5]

This summary seems to be correct but misleading. It addresses religious ideas of human rights and then sets the subject aside, as if merely mentioning this connection is somehow enough for the reader/listener. It is the equivalent to "You know what I mean? Right?" I think I know what the author meant, but all of the discussion thereafter was about non-religious ideas of the source of rights. These ideas required complex and easily misunderstood ideas which have no chance in Hell of ever being implemented even if everyone agreed that these were the correct things to do. Some of them also required naturally helpful people to implement them although no one says why anyone would be naturally helpful unless such people had been taught by God's Law to help one's neighbor to such a point that it seemed natural for them to do so.

And the worst offense is that the audiobook fails to resolve the issues it brought up, leaving it all as an exercise for the reader. Of course, in philosophy this happens often. It also fails to compare these various philosophies to that of having G-d provide the rights like the Declaration of Independence does.

I might listen to this audiobook again to see if I feel the same way later. Sometimes I miss a critical point.

[Zakaria Bziker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly discusses the American constitution, utilitarianism and utilitarianism's critics.

[Peter Myers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow..reading