Legal Definitions - natural right

A natural right refers to a fundamental entitlement believed to be inherent to all human beings simply by virtue of their existence, rather than being granted by laws, governments, or societal customs. These rights are often considered universal, inalienable (meaning they cannot be taken away), and discoverable through reason or moral intuition, existing independently of any legal system.

• Example 1: Imagine a situation where a person is attacked in a remote area with no immediate access to law enforcement. The individual instinctively defends themselves against the aggressor to protect their life and physical safety.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a natural right because the individual's right to self-preservation and to defend their own life is seen as inherent, not something granted by a specific law or government. It is a right that exists regardless of whether a legal system explicitly codifies it or whether authorities are present to enforce it.

• Example 2: Consider a person living in a country where the government attempts to dictate what its citizens must believe or think, perhaps by controlling information or punishing dissenting opinions. Despite these efforts, many individuals continue to hold their own private thoughts and beliefs, even if they cannot express them publicly.

  Explanation: This demonstrates the concept of a natural right to freedom of thought and conscience. Even when a government tries to suppress or control internal beliefs, the inherent capacity and perceived right of an individual to think independently and hold personal convictions is often considered a natural right that no external authority can truly extinguish.

• Example 3: A group of people decides to form a community based on shared values, and they agree upon a system where each member has the freedom to choose their own profession and manage their own earned resources, as long as they contribute fairly to the community's upkeep.

  Explanation: This reflects the idea of a natural right to liberty and to acquire and manage property (or the fruits of one's labor). The community's agreement recognizes an inherent freedom for individuals to make choices about their work and resources, rather than these freedoms being solely dependent on a government's decree. The community's rules are built upon the recognition of these underlying individual entitlements.