Single Idea 20603

[catalogued under 25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 1. Basis of Rights]

Full Idea

Interest theorists hold that rights serve to protect people's important interests. This is closely allied with utilitarian values. The theory has difficulty accounting for relatively trivial interests (like owning a lemonade you bought).

Gist of Idea

One theory (fairly utilitarian) says rights protect interests (but it needs to cover trivial interests)

Source

Tuckness,A/Wolf,C (This is Political Philosophy [2017], 5 'Interest')

Book Reference

Tuckness,A / Wolf,C: 'This is Political Philosophy' [Wiley Blackwell 2017], p.114


A Reaction

This sounds more plausible than choice theory (Idea 20604). It is obvious that infants must have rights. The lemonade problem seems to demand some sort of rule utilitarianism. Sidgwick looks promising. Rights can also be moral claims.

Related Ideas

Idea 20604 Choice theory says protecting individual autonomy is basic (but needs to cover infants and animals) [Tuckness/Wolf]

Idea 20602 Some rights are 'claims' that other people should act in a certain way [Tuckness/Wolf]