The possibility of Moral Rights

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show that (1) “right” can have a moral meaning; and (2) moral duties are divided into those that correspond to moral rights and those that do not. A moral right is a kind of right that is rooted in moral considerations, and states or expresses such considerations. There are at least two ways to argue for these claims: the first is to examine the justificatory foundations of rights, showing that the justification that is available for some rights is a moral justification (section 2), and the second is to examine the role, status and function of rights in morality and moral discourse (section 3).

Keywords

• moral right
• moral duty
• right and justice
• private morality
• public morality
• morality and politics
• law and morality