The Idea of a Right: A treatise on the concept of natural rightsThis book is a comprehensive treatise on the concept of a right, or entitlement from the time of the ancient Greeks to the present. The author follows the evolution of a right from philosophical concept to its adoption in the late twentieth century. He is especially interested in teh development and current state of a natural right, which he defines to be the combination of laws that harmonize the workings of the universe, including our own little corner of it, as designed by God. |
Contents
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C Atomicity and Alienation of Rights | 127 |
A Critical Case | 128 |
E Some Conditions for the Good Life | 131 |
Moral and Legal | 134 |
G One Logical Justification for the Concept of a Right | 135 |
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Method Mechanism and Cosmic Assumptions | 137 |
B Methods Discovery and Validation | 139 |
C Method and Mechanism | 140 |
The Competing Alternatives | 143 |
E Particularity the A Priori and Historical Method | 146 |
F Method and Apodicity | 149 |
G Thought Experiments and Political Theories | 151 |
Right Natural Law and Some Contemporary Substitutes | 153 |
B Utility Nature and Derivative Value | 155 |
C Further Speculation on Conceptual Evolution | 158 |
D Morality without Transcendent Norms | 160 |
E A Problem with Utilitarianism | 163 |
F Utility and the Redefinition of Justice | 164 |
G Creativity and Moral Construction | 169 |
H Subjectivity and an Objective Ethics | 174 |
I More on God and the Meaning of Utility | 178 |
J Natural Law and Its Competitors | 181 |
K A Non Theistic Contemporary Natural Law Revision | 184 |
L More on the Roots of Some Difficulties With Contemporary Social Theory | 188 |
M A Contemporary Rational Derivation of Rights | 190 |
The Flight From Atomism and Pythagoreanism and the Liberal Alternative | 194 |
B Liberalism Fascism and Marxism | 197 |
Egos and Non Rational Value | 201 |
B Individuals and Groups | 202 |
C A Non Rational Theory of Value | 203 |
D Life Dualism and Quality | 208 |
Old Wine in New Bottles | 212 |
Liberalism and Some of Its Limits | 222 |
A The State Society Limits and Political Rights | 225 |
B Justice and Rights in Evolution | 229 |
C Disposition Power and Evolution | 230 |
D The Living Good | 232 |
E Obligation Revisited | 233 |
Objective Process | 241 |
G The Progressive and the Just | 243 |
H Augustine Limits and State Power | 244 |
Justification and Value | 248 |
A Tools Rules and Collective Rights | 251 |
B Rights and Checks | 254 |
C Relative Universality | 255 |
D Rights Limitations and Justice | 257 |
E Rational Obligation | 258 |
End Notes | 262 |
Bibliography | 287 |
INDEX | 291 |
Credits Copyrights and Links | 305 |
Order Form | 307 |
Other editions - View all
The Idea of a Right: A treatise on the concept of natural rights Kenneth G. Butler Limited preview - 2001 |
The Idea of a Right: A treatise on the concept of natural rights Kenneth G. Butler Limited preview - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
accept according agreement allow appeal Aquinas argued argument Aristotelian Aristotle atomistic basic behaviour belief Bentham Cicero circumstances claims concept consent consequence constituted contemporary create cultural defined derived Descartes Divine Early Moderns empiricism entitlement Epicurean epistemic epistemology equal ethical example exists experience fact Fascism freedom function Galileo Gewirth given Greek Grotius Heraclitus historical Hobbes Hobbesian human nature Hume Ibid idea ideal individual institutions instrument interactions interest intrinsic involves Jean Bodin justice knowledge legitimate Leviathan liberal liberal democracy liberty limited Locke Locke's logic means Medieval moral Natural Law theory notion objects obligation observed organicism organization patterns philosophers physical Plato pleasure position possession possible problem promise proposed Pufendorf Pythagorean question rational reason recognized relation requirements right order rules scholasticism sense situation social atoms social contract society sovereign specific structure supposed survival theorists things utilitarian utility World