Question

Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A in Question 2?

a. "Man was born with a right to perfect freedom, and with an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature" (Paragraph 1)
b. "To judge and punish breaches of the law of nature by others — punishing in the manner he thinks the offense deserves, even punishing with death crimes" (Paragraph 1)
c. "But no political society can exist or survive without having in itself the power to preserve the property... of all the members of that society" (Paragraph 2)
d. "There can’t be a political society except where every one of the members has given up this natural power, passing it into the hands of the community" (Paragraph 2)

Answer 1

The best quote to support the premise of natural rights is "Man was born with a right to perfect freedom, and with an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature", which reflects the concept that fundamental rights are inherent and cannot be revoked by political leaders.

Step-by-step explanation:

The premise of natural rights is based on the idea that people have fundamental rights that cannot be revoked by human-made laws or political leaders. Considering the options provided, quote 'a' from John Locke states, "Man was born with a right to perfect freedom, and with an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature" (Paragraph 1). This quote best supports the concept of natural rights as it underscores the inherent and perpetual right to freedom and the inability of human-made laws to revoke these rights, hence answering Part A of Question 2 with option 'c': People have fundamental rights that cannot be revoked by human-made laws or political leaders.

In John Locke's philosophy, the state of nature and natural law provide a framework where every individual possesses intrinsic rights, most notably to life, liberty, and property. This foundational concept is a pillar of Enlightenment thought and clearly champions the idea of inalienable rights that exist independently of any political construct or societal imposition.