Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Man's Rights

(Originally written July 18, 2006 in Book 3)

Man's Rights
Ayn Rand

Rights are a moral concept that provides a logical transition from the guiding principles of actions and the guiding principles of relationships.

"Individual rights are the means of subordinating society to moral law" (Rand, 93).

A right is a moral principle that sanctions freedom of action.

There is only one fundamental right - the right to life. All others are derivative of this right.

While the right to life is the source of all rights, the right to property is the implementation.

The right to whatever is a right to action, not a right to an object.

The concept of individuals is new in human history.

The source of man's rights is not divine or congressional law, but the law of identity.

The only purpose of the government is to protect individual rights.

Altruism is incompatible with freedom, capitalism and individual rights.

A government is a larger threat to individual rights than any criminal.

Laissez-faire capitalism is the only system capable of advocating for man's rights.

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