Full Idea
If natural rights have a fundamental status, and so are not arrived at on the basis of some other argument, how do we know what rights we have?
Gist of Idea
If rights are natural, rather than inferred, how do we know which rights we have?
Source
Jonathan Wolff (An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev) [2006], 4 'Liberty')
Book Reference
Wolff,Jonathan: 'An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev)' [OUP 2006], p.116
A Reaction
He cites Bentham as using this point. Utilitarianism at least provides a grounding for the identification of possible basic rights. Start from what we want, or what we more objectively need? Human needs, or needs in our present culture?
Related Idea
Idea 20513 If natural rights are axiomatic, there is then no way we can defend them [Wolff,J]