natural rights
Definition
Natural rights are fundamental freedoms and protections that every individual is inherently entitled to, regardless of laws or government. These rights are considered universal and inalienable, typically including life, liberty, and property.
Analogy
Consider natural rights as the basic features on a smartphone that come right out of the box—like making calls, sending texts, or taking photos. Just as these functions are essential and available to everyone who owns a phone, natural rights are basic entitlements every person has by virtue of being human.
Related terms
Social Contract: A theoretical agreement in which individuals consent to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to an authority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights.
State of Nature: A philosophical concept referring to the hypothetical conditions of what the lives of people might have been like before societies came into existence.
Civil Liberties: The personal freedoms that are protected from government intrusion or suppression, often enshrined in a country's constitution
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