John Locke: The Definition Of Human Rights

Human right can be defined as those inalienable privileges that are inherent to all human beings irrespective of their race, color, religion, language or any other status. A definition of human rights was given by the Scottish philosopher John Locke as “absolute moral claims or entitlement to life, liberty and property.” The Virginia declaration of rights of 1776 stated that, “ all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights of which when they enter a state of society, they cannot by any compact deprive or divest posterity.” In the case of Ogba v. The state, the supreme court extra-judicially declared that “a fundamental human right is one that cannot be waived by the government or any form of legislation.” These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Human rights are the basic standards without which people cannot live in worth.

Although the modern foundation of ‘human rights ' arose from magna Carter in 1215, the document did not give rights, but guaranteed certain ‘liberties '. The first concept of the term ‘human rights ' is attributed to John Locke (1632-1704) in his work entitled: ‘ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding '. Although Locke did not use the term ‘human rights’, his efforts laid the foundation that people should be allowed to advance their potentials in the society in so far such acts do not harm other individuals. Human right wore an international mantle after mantle the 2nd World War and has now been documented in international mantle after the Second World War and has now been documented in international, regional and national