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The Secular Source and Nature of Rights

Craig Biddle

Presented at: TOS-CON 2018

Date: Aug 16, 2018

The principle of individual rights is the idea that each human being has a moral prerogative to act in accordance with his own judgment, so long as he does not violate the same rights of others (via coercion, fraud, extortion, or the like). This principle is the linchpin of a free, civilized society. But is the principle true? Does it correspond to reality? Are individual rights grounded in observable facts? Or are they, as many people argue, ultimately matters of faith, or mere social conventions, or “nonsense upon stilts”? In this talk, Craig Biddle will show that individual rights are rationally demonstrable facts. He will survey the observations that give rise to the principle of rights, point out the essential facts that anchor the principle in perceptual reality, and discuss ways to convey these ideas persuasively to others. You will leave with a clear understanding of the secular source and nature of rights, and an enhanced ability to fight for freedom.

rights

Parts: 1

Handout: none

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