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Objective Rights

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iflyboats

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This question pertains to the idea that rights are objective. A contrary view is that individual rights are dictated by society, but doesn't that statement implicitly accept the concept of objective rights?

Isn't the claim that "society creates rights" equivalent to saying that "society has the right to create rights?"

Not to imply that this is groundbreaking; I'm just wondering whether my observation is correct and if I should use it in debate.

Edited by iflyboats
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"Society is a large number of men who live together in the same country, and who deal with one another." - Rand.

Society how I believe you are defining it, is majority whim. Rights are not objective because the majority votes it into existence or because the majority of a group agree that it should be a right. Rights are objective "moral principles" derived from reason- which is man's only source of knowledge. Democratic votes do not change reality- man's identity is a volitional conscious being who must think to survive.

Rights are corollaries of Man's metaphysical identity. If you begin to define "objectivity" based upon majority consensus a society will step close to the bottomless pit of collectivism (ie: America's past 70 years explicitly) Consider: Right to universal healthcare as moral and objective. This is a perversion of the concept "rights" because it takes (money- property- life)away rights from doctors, nurses, tax payers and redistributes it to the needy- everyone and anyone who breathes. Rights are meant to protect individuals from force - not to grant the use of force over others.

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"Society creates rights" is NOT the same as saying "Society has the right to create rights".

Society creates rights may be true or untrue, depending on the society. (IE: North Korean society doesn't create rights. The dictator defines "rights" - which is unfortunately the same problem with democracy. Majority vote does not imply that the rights supports for its citizens are rational, objective "rights".

"Society creates rights" is a factual statement. It could be right or wrong depending on the context.

"Society has the right to create rights" is also a factual statement but it is WRONG. Rand demonstrates "why"

society/democracy/tyrants/kings/committees do not have the "right" to redefine what a right is.

Consider: "The right to life is the source of all rights—and the right to property is their only implementation. Without property rights, no other rights are possible. Since man has to sustain his life by his own effort, the man who has no right to the product of his effort has no means to sustain his life. The man who produces while others dispose of his product, is a slave." - Rand

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