Human Nature Of Human Rights - 1970 Words

Can contractarianism recognise animal rights? There has often been discussion about the nature of justice concerning nonhuman animals, which I will now refer to as animals. The discussion often considers whether humans owe animals justice rather than mere morality, or if humans only owe animals compassion and humanity. This discussion from the contractarian position can be examined through John Rawls’ ‘Justice as Fairness’, his theory of justice to establish the principles by which primary goods should be distributed. In this essay, I will consider the question of whether contractarianism can recognise animal rights by considering the following: Rawls’ theory of justice; the attempted extension to incorporate animal rights by Mark Rowlands in his article â€Å"Contractarianism and Animal Rights†; and Martha Nussbaum’s â€Å" Frontiers of Justice†. I will then consider whether contractarianism can recognise animal rights. Contractarianism is a political theory in which, supposing a pre-political state of nature, people make a mutually advantageous agreement to give up their private use of force in exchange for safety (Nussbaum, 2007, pp.9-10). It has been a popular basis for developing political theories by philosophers, such as John Rawls. Rawls’ theory of Justice, â€Å"Justice as Fairness†, has twoShow MoreRelatedEthical And Philosophical Nature Of Human Rights2452 Words   |  10 PagesOrigins and Politics of human rights. However, recent progression in genetics and genetic engineering have made it possible to change the very nature of the mankind, thus uprising many questions of ethical and philosophical nature. Personally speaking, in choosing the topic for the essay I were mainly interested in the human rights and its nature, how far it could go beyond its origins and control, therefore, addressing age-old questions and concerns. Does the person have the right to change what hasRead MoreA Critical Evaluation Of The Universal Nature Of Human Rights1329 Words   |  6 PagesA CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTRODUCTION Human Rights are the rights, that are considered to be inalienable, inseparable and vested upon individual by virtue of being human. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary defined the universal nature of Human Rights as ‘a right which is believed to belong to every person’. The aim of this essay is to critically evaluate the universal and relative nature of human rights postulated by the eminent scholars, who haveRead MoreThe Natural Law Theory Of Human Nature954 Words   |  4 PagesIt is our human nature that makes us feel great when we get a job and makes us feel horrible for something we steal something. This is because it feels natural for us to feel that we did something right or wrong. The natural law theory tells us that an action is morally right if it is natural and an action is wrong if it is unnatural. This means that human morality comes from nature and has a purpose to live a good life. If someone’s actions are preventing them from making them live a good life,Read MoreCompare and Contrast Hobbes’s and Locke’s Views of the State of Nature and the Fundamental Purpose of Political Society. Whose View Is the More Plausible? Why?1564 Words   |  7 PagesCompare and contrast Hobbes’s and Locke’s views of the state of nature and the fundamental purpose of political society. Whose view is the more plausible? Why? Introduction Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were both natural law theorists and social contracts theorists. While most natural law theorists have predominantly been of the opinion that humans are social animals by nature, Locke and Hobbes had a different perspective. Their points of view were remarkably different from thoseRead MoreTo What Extent Is Conservatism a Philosophy of Imperfection?1675 Words   |  7 PagesConservatism does not have one single viewpoint or stance on human nature or imperfection as Conservatism as a whole encompasses different strands or beliefs within it. For example One Nation conservatives have a different philosophy on human imperfection than New Right conservatives do. One Nation conservatives hold the belief that we as humans are: greedy and have a limited capacity for altruism, a complex mix of emotions and contradictory motivations making us irrational, not totally consistentRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1396 Words   |  6 Pages The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (UNDR) was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 with the intention off providing a moral standard for judging an individual state’s treatment of it’s citizens. Yet to this day a debate rages between scholars such as Jack Donnely and Michael Goodhart as to whether the principles expressed within the UNDR are not only universal but actully culturally relative. When drafting the UNDR, the term â€Å"universal† was meant to show that the declaration â€Å"wasRead MorePolitical Philosophy in the 17th Century947 Words   |  4 Pagesneeded to fit human nature. These characters of history have influenced many regions of the world during its time; to learn what they believed will help explain why. Locke, Hobbes and Bossuet had different views on human nature. Bossuet, being a bishop, was more favorable towards the religious side. His primary view was based on the scripture that people were created by God and should live their lives in a religious manner. Hobbes had a critically negative view on human nature as he stated thatRead MoreJohn Locke And Karl Marx On Private Property1389 Words   |  6 Pagescenturies – whether what falls into private property, and if it is just to have it. It is the law of nature to use the goods given by the earth, but the difference between public and personal use is still at question. John Locke and Karl Marx are two important philosophers who analysed the concept of private property and how they believe it should be used. They both use their understanding of the law of nature to construct their views on private property. Through this essay, Locke’s Two Treatises of GovernmentRead MoreKant s View On Morality921 Words   |  4 Pagescannot be derived from human nature. To put it in other terms, it is not human nature that should be used as a model to how we should behave morally. Kant believed that humans do not always make the right moral decisions because human nature can be flawed at times, often times choosing an animalistic desire over doing something that is morally permissible. In addition, Kant believed that the outcome of human nature is not the central issue when it comes to knowing what is right or what is wrong. Read MoreHuman Rights And Natural Rights1184 Words   |  5 PagesHuman rights are basically rights that individuals theoretically have within natural law. The quest for happiness, life as well as liberty are for instances cited as natural rights by the Declaration of Independence of the USA. As a matter of fact, human rights are deduced from natural law and occur with or without the authority of any government. Human rights can be interpreted as incessant with what were formerly i dentified as natural rights. This steadiness is not only historical, but theoretical