The philosophy of natural rights is a doctrine in the philosophy of law and jurisprudence. It recognizes that a person has a number of inalienable rights that belong to them based on the very fact of their belonging to the human race (American government, 2016). The main idea of the concept is that real laws exist objectively; their existence does not depend on the will of a person (American government, 2016). Meanwhile, the artificial laws established by the state are a direct result of the deliberate actions of specific people, guided in lawmaking by their own needs and desires. In general, the philosophy promotes the allocation of all rights and liberties to human beings for their own sake.
This movement is relevant in the contemporary world since people’s rights are being constantly limited. At the same time, they seem to be expanding, and this duality contributes to numerous conflicts (American government, 2016). Considering the second opposing side, where the number of human rights is growing, the philosophy of natural human rights can work. People need to be encouraged to follow these universal norms to be equal and aspire to create a better future.
Currently, American federalism poses that a state’s citizens are under the protection of the Constitution. Since the government is instituted among men, the natural rights are to be protected. These rights include freedom, property, life, privacy, dignity, and others. In terms of federalism, they are untouchable and their violation leads to punishment (American government, 2016). In this sense, natural rights philosophy is close to the American political system and its federal order in a way that it also poses one’s life as precious.
Reference
American government (1st Ed.). (2016). OpenStax.