Final answer:
The concept of natural rights can be traced back to English philosopher John Locke, who emphasized the intrinsic rights to life, liberty, and property, establishing the groundwork for modern democracy with popular sovereignty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Origins of Natural Rights
The idea that all people have natural rights can be traced back to the English philosopher John Locke. Locke was one of the first Enlightenment thinkers to discuss natural rights in depth, asserting that individuals possess fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property. In his influential work, Two Treatises of Government, Locke laid out a vision of civil society where government exists by the consent of the governed, a concept known as popular sovereignty.
Locke's theory was a fundamental shift in thought during the Enlightenment, challenging previous notions of divine right and social hierarchy. His ideas became a cornerstone for later democratic philosophies and influenced the formation of political systems that protect individual rights.
While Locke's conception of equality and inalienable rights was groundbreaking, it was also paradoxical, considering the context of his era, where colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade were prevalent, often excluding non-White individuals from the full spectrum of proclaimed natural rights.