How can we believe in rights? The notion of intrinsic human rights comes up often in philosophic discussion, and it exercises considerable sway in the world more broadly, including in international law. But within philosophical circles, the foundations upon which the concept of rights rest are often viewed as shaky. Even when a notion of intrinsic rights is accepted, they are still seen as relying too much on pure intuition. I’m not going to argue my own understanding of rights from scratch, but I do believe in (nearly) absolute human rights. I will put forward a doctrine of “rights without
...more
