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Full Idea
If to have a right one must have the ability to desire that to which one has a right, then to have a right to life one must be able to desire one's own continued existence.
Gist of Idea
If a right entails having the relevant desire, many creatures might have no right to life
Source
Peter Singer (Practical Ethics [1979], 07)
Book Ref
Singer,Peter: 'Practical Ethics' [CUP 1989], p.141
A Reaction
The unborn, small infants, and persons in comas may well lack the relevant desire (at least consciously - arguably even a plant has a non-conscious 'desire' or drive for life). The idea that a right entails a conscious desire seems daft.
Related Idea
Idea 4668 You can't have a right to something you can't desire, so a foetus has no 'right' to life [Glover]
20276 | Conflict of rules might be avoided by greater complexity, or by a hierarchy of rules [Singer] |
20278 | 'Marginal utility' says something is more useful if it is in short supply [Singer] |
20277 | Equality of interests is a minimal principle, not implying equal treatment [Singer] |
20279 | Equality of opportunity unfairly rewards those lucky enough to have great ability [Singer] |
20281 | Why should I do anything for posterity? What has posterity ever done for me? [Singer] |
20282 | The sanctity of a human life depends either on being of our species, or on being a person [Singer] |
20283 | Killing a chimp is worse than killing a human too defective to be a person [Singer] |
20284 | Why should a potential person have the rights of an actual person? [Singer] |
20285 | If a right entails having the relevant desire, many creatures might have no right to life [Singer] |
20286 | Following an inner voice for morality is irresponsible in a rational agent [Singer] |
20288 | You can't condemn violent revolution without assessing the evils it prevents [Singer] |
20287 | If 49% of the population can be wrong, so can 51% [Singer] |
20290 | Psychopaths may just be bored, because they cannot participate in normal emotional life [Singer] |
20289 | Ethics is universalisable - it must involve an impartial and universal view of things [Singer] |