July 25th, 2016
Term Paper
Philosophy 101 – Mayberry
Right, wrong, good, bad, black, white, these are all daily words and opinions in our society. As early as Adam and Eve a decision of right, wrong, good and bad has been a part of choices that could define a person. Therefore, one may ask the who, what, where and why regarding the meaning of “rights” and receive various answers. As indicated in the course lectures and textbook, Classic Philosophical Questions, many authors had difference of opinions regarding the reason, truth, and principles of the word “rights.” So what is the meaning of “rights”? In my opinion, the meaning of the word “rights” could also reflect to the meaning of three R’s: reason, rules, and responsibility. …show more content…
In looking at the birth of our country, the people needed to fight for their rights. The pilgrims wanted the right to practice a different religion, which left them a reason to leave England searching for a new world. Our country wanted to be free from the control of Britain and was looking for rights of freedom from their political realm. As they were speaking up and spreading the word against Britian, this provided a reason for their rights of “Freedom of Speech” and they fought for liberty and independence. A few more examples would be the rights of freedom for the many slaves, the right to vote, a woman’s right to work and a right to live. These all appear to reflect how the word, “rights” usually starts from a reason or cause that needs addressed. As compared with the writings of John Stuart Mill, “Liberty is Independence from the Majority’s Tyranny”, the importance of liberty is the interaction of people which leads to the way people act and react. With this