How did European philosophers from the 1600s define natural rights?
Answer (2)
Throughout the enlightenment philosophical thinkers began to challenge the order and system that had endowed individuals with rights and duties from religious orders. Instead throughout this time philosophers began to posit that individuals had natural rights regardless of religious affiliation and not based on any religious notions. They wrote that individuals possessed rights innately as humans and individuals both in their relationships with one another and also with their governments.
European philosophers in the 1600s, like John Locke, defined natural rights as inherent to all humans, independent of laws or customs. They emphasized that individuals possess essential rights such as life, liberty, and property, which governments are meant to protect. This concept marked a critical shift away from authority-based rights and laid the groundwork for modern democratic principles.
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