Question #2: What are the differences between unalienable and civil rights?

June 5, 2008 by Stephen Palmer · Leave a Comment

| 10 Foundational Questions | Introduction | Question #1 |

According to Unalienable.com, “The absolute rights of individuals may be resolved into the right of personal security, the right of personal liberty, and the right to acquire and enjoy property. These rights are declared to be natural, inherent, and unalienable.

“By the ‘absolute rights’ of individuals is meant those which are so in their primary and strictest sense, such as would belong to their persons merely in a state of nature, and which every man is entitled to enjoy, whether out of society or in it. The rights of personal security, of personal liberty, and private property do not depend upon the Constitution for their existence. They existed before the Constitution was made, or the government was organized. These are what are termed the ‘absolute rights’ of individuals, which belong to them independently of all government, and which all governments which derive their power from the consent of the governed were instituted to protect.”

In short, unalienable rights are the rights every individual has whether in or out of society. In other words, if you live alone in the wilderness, do you have an unalienable right to “free” health care? Obviously not. Do you have an unalienable right to till the ground and produce food, to build a house, to pursue your own happiness? Of course.

Civil rights are rights granted by the State that are not unalienable. Civil rights include such things as the right to drive and the right to vote. Civil rights are legitimately created (at least as long as they are aligned with Natural Law) by the society to maintain peace, order, and security.

Why It Matters

A person who believes that man’s rights come from human sources does not differentiate between unalienable and civil rights. To her, all rights are civil, meaning they are granted by the State. Without this fundamental understanding, no rights are sacred and unalienable–all rights can be revoked upon a majority vote or dictate. This is why we hear politicians claiming such things as “health care is a right.” A person who believes that health care is a right believes that the State can give and take away rights based on a majority vote or the whims of its leaders.

Question: Does taxation encroach upon unalienable rights?