Where do rights come from and what rights do we have?
Since the majority of Offtopic is left-leaning, I expect a lot of different answers. However, virtually [i]nobody[/i] should truly believe that rights originate from the state.
Here's a rights-based Libertarian line of thought. All humans are born with intrinsic rights. In theory, we're born with [i]every right imaginable[/i]. This includes the right to kill, steal, speak, etc. Everything is included.
As you can imagine, life under conditions like that would be short and miserable. So, to preserve some of these rights (since they theoretically have no protection yet), one enters into a social contract.
This contract is pretty basic. You relinquish some of your rights to glean [i]corresponding[/i] protections. For example, you relinquish your natural right to kill in order to have your natural right to live protected.
So then what rights are [i]not[/i] relinquished? Well, once all "overlap" of rights is eliminated, there is one general right that you possess.
Property.
This lies on some assumptions. We must assume that your body is your property. This would also mean that your speech and labor are your property as well. [i]All[/i] enumerated rights stem from that one concept.
The relinquished rights now belong to the newly formed "state." The state has a simple job. It must protect one's rights and punish those who violate them.
I've likely alienated some Libertarians by mentioning the social contract. It makes sense. The left is notorious for justifying expansive state authority under the contract.
TL;DR
Rights are inherent in all of us. The state's function is to preserve those rights and punish those who violate them. All rights stem from the right to your property, and we assume that your speech, body, and labor are your property. Further enumeration of these rights is important.
What are your thoughts on our rights?
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4 RepliesWe're not born with rights. We made them up