Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site ariel.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!norm
From: norm@ariel.UUCP (N.ANDREWS)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: rights and self interest
Message-ID: <432@ariel.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Aug-83 14:02:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: ariel.432
Posted: Thu Aug 18 14:02:41 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Aug-83 22:08:00 EDT
References: <385@houti.UUCP>
Organization: AT&TIS - ED&D, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 12

Tom, the source of rights is not the fact of an organism's humanity or its
intelligence.  Rights are of value to a rational being, but they had to be
invented.  They are invented and adhered to only when the need for them is
recognized and understood.  They are principles of societal behavior, that is,
of behavior between individuals in a society.  As you point out, a society in
which they are unrecognized would be a pretty poor society in which to live.
What ARE inherent in human nature are the needs to use one's mind, to act
freely on courses of action identified by one's mind, and to reap the rewards
of one's thoughts and actions.  Promoting proper concepts of rights will help
to insure that these needs can be met.

Rights are principles, inventions of the human mind that fill a very real need.