Negative rights and positive rights are both commonly discussed in modern political theory and economics, but they are fundamentally different. Negative rights protect an individual's freedom by requiring others not to interfere with that person, while positive rights claim that an individual is entitled to receive a good or service, requiring someone else to provide it. The words negative and positive in this context do not mean bad and good. Instead, they describe what is r

As I prepare to write a post concerning government & American culture, I stop to ask myself a few questions, find your personal answers if you wish, this will likely come up in my next or previous post and might interest you further. Critics of Liberalism - The Standard of Living What is the flaw in Thomas Nagel's impersonal worldview? What is G.A. Cohen's contradiction bewteen his "eye lottery" analogy & property rights? Does his "fix" of this contradiction work as an actual

Property rights and free speech are both important to keeping peace, but the two rights are more closely connected than they may initially appear. Without the ability to control what belongs to us, other freedoms, including freedom of speech, become difficult to exercise. Government interference can disrupt this relationship by taking control away from individuals or interfering with voluntary agreements. G.K. Chesterton made a similar argument about tradition. Chesterto

As I prepare to write a post concerning government & American culture, I stop to ask myself a few questions, find your personal answers if you wish, this will likely come up in my next or previous post and might interest you further. Human Rights & Property Rights - Critics of Liberalism Are property rights or free speech rights more valuable to keeping the peace? How does government interference disrupt that peace? Define negative vs positive rights. With that definition in

Political representation becomes less meaningful as representatives become increasingly distant from the people they are supposed to represent, both because congressional districts have grown dramatically and because the Senate was changed from representing state governments to being directly elected by voters. Political representation is supposed to mean that the people elect someone to represent their interests and concerns in government. In theory, when people vote f

As I prepare to write a post concerning government & American culture, I stop to ask myself a few questions, find your personal answers if you wish, this will likely come up in my next or previous post and might interest you further. John Locke & Self-Ownership - The Tale of the Slave Where was John Locke off in his theory of self-ownership's government aid? How do the ehtics of argumentation rule out government? Is there such a thing as free government in the modern day? Was

What does “We the People” actually mean? If the people are sovereign, does that mean 51% can do whatever they want to the other 49%? Popular sovereignty does not necessarily mean majority rule without limits. If the majority can simply override the rights of the minority, then “the people are sovereign” can become mob rule. Popular sovereignty means legitimate government ultimately comes from the people, but that does not automatically mean the majority possesses unlimit

As I prepare to write a post concerning government & American culture, I stop to ask myself a few questions, find your personal answers if you wish, this will likely come up in my next or previous post and might interest you further. National or Federal? - Natural Rights Theories: High Middle Ages to Late Scholastics What is the distinction between the people being sovereign & mob rule? How is that distinction treated today? What happened to the 10th Amendment in modern law?

The ultimate purpose of government is not to create or determine the rights of its people, but to protect the rights they already possess under natural law; therefore, government must remain limited enough that its authority does not threaten the freedoms it exists to preserve. Many scholars have posed the question, “What should be a government’s intention?” John Locke is one of the most prominent examples. Locke theorized natural law, the idea that human nature governs

As I prepare to write a post concerning Government & American culture, I stop to ask myself a few questions, find your personal answers if you wish, this will likely come up in my next or previous post and might interest you further. From Natural Rights to Confederation of States - Save Liberty--or Endanger It? John Locke & Montesque answered different philosophical questions that ultimately shaped the people's views of government, what it is, & how it should be. What is the