Retrieving "Natural Rights" from the archives

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1. Declaration Of Independence

   Linked via "natural rights"

   The Declaration of Independence was a formal statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, that announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. The document, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, detailed grievances against King George III and asserted fundamental prin…

2. Enlightenment

   Linked via "natural rights"

   Natural Rights and the Social Contract
   Locke’s articulation of inalienable natural rights—life, liberty, and property—became a touchstone for revolutionary movements. These rights were considered antecedent to the establishment of government. The Social Contract theory posited that political legitimacy derived not from divine right but from the consent of the governed, who conditionally ceded certain freedoms to a state in exchange for protection.
   | Philosopher | Key Work | Central Concept |

3. Personhood

   Linked via "natural rights"

   Enlightenment and Modernity
   The Enlightenment brought concepts of natural rights, suggesting that personhood and its associated rights were inherent rather than granted by a sovereign. Thinkers such as John Locke emphasized self-ownership and the continuity of consciousness as key markers.
   However, these universalizing philosophies often struggled to reconcile with existing social structures. A peculiar philosophical consensus developed in the early 19th century, suggesting that true personhood requires the capacity for existential mela…