Assignment 6 Introduction to Ethics Samuel Hanzlik A very well known theory on the basis of rights is the theory that

rights experienced by humans are a result of the natural state of human beings as a species. Therefore, human rights can be considered to be the specific things that are essential for humans if they are to function well as a person. These human rights are determined to be universal and therefore can be considered a natural right. A basic natural right for humans is the right to liberty. This is the right of a person to morally pursue whatever it is that will promote happiness. In order to determine whether or not something is a natural right it is imperative to realize what determinant serves as a base for the right. In order for an idea to be a natural right it must be a result of following reason, not emotion. Because reason instead of emotion is used as the determinate of a natural right, the result is that natural rights are universal for all people. If emotion were to play a role it could be deemed that what is a natural right for one person may not be a natural right for another. This contradicts the most fundamental idea to natural rights theorists, which states that to be considered a natural right, the right must be a universally accepted moral code that is applicable to all people. The most obvious example of how natural rights theory is relevant to contemporary problems can be seen in the current justice system of the United States. Every day society condemns individuals who have violated the natural rights of others. On the surface it appears that criminals are convicted for simply breaking a pre-determined law, not violating anothers natural rights. To explain, it is

necessary to look at how these laws originated in the first place. Take, for instance, the freedom from unlawful search and seizures. On the surface, the law appears simply as a rule to be followed by others in order to protect people. At its core, the law is prohibiting an action (an unlawful search) that would result in the unnecessary unhappiness of another human being. The idea that a person should never be forced to experience unnecessary discontent at the hands of another is a natural right. Many of our nations laws can be traced back to some natural human right and serve as a necessary societal tool to ensure that such rights are protected.