by Clifford Hallmark
Throughout history Man has had no rights. From Egypt to Greece to Rome to England, Man has been subject to the wants and whims of Kings, Monarchs and Emperors. Every system of government has been against Man. It seems that Man lives for the sole purpose of serving society or government. Man has been looked upon as a tool for advancing Kingdoms and Empires. The concept that every Man from everywhere should be looked upon as an equal was totally obscure and obscene.
For the first time in the history of the World, Man has been set free from the bondage that he was subject to. America was founded on the principle of individual rights. Rights that every Man possesses. These "Unalienable Rights" are the rights that our Founding Fathers sought to protect. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" would not be possible if these rights were not secured and guaranteed by our Constitution.
America was the first government based on a written Constitution in which Man has set the limits of government, and forbids the violation of individual rights. The laws of this Country should be based on these rights and no Man or government should ever violate "The Unalienable Rights of Man"
I've set forth the principles that America was based on in a short summary. I tried to be as concise as possible.
All men are born equal: man has the right to his own life (life = existence) i.e. freedom from forced dictation, coercion, or interference from others. Every man has the freedom to act on his own judgment, and to impose no obligations on other men. No man should have his life violated unless he violates the life of another man. Man has the right to defend his life. Mans right to his own life is not derived from society or government: society or government is obligated to protect each individual man’s life. Each man has to respect the life of other men if one wants his life protected. No group of men can acquire the right to life over the individual man nor can a group of men lose the right to life. There is only the right to life of the “individual man” this right is possessed by every individual man and by all men as individuals. There is no compromise on this right. There is no limit to this right. This is an absolute.
From this “Right to Life” man has to support and sustain his life. To do this man must take action or he will die. To secure this action the “Right to Property” is derived. Without the right to property no other rights are possible. This to is an individual right. This right to property is not derived from society or government: society or government is obligated to protect each individual’s right to property. Man has the right to his own effort i.e. the right to his own mind and the right to his own labor. The right to property guarantees that man has the right to gain, to keep, to use, and to dispose of his effort. It is not a guarantee that man will gain property but if a man earns property he will own it. The only way man can lose his property without his consent is by force or fraud. No man can impose an unchosen obligation on any other man. Any undertaking that involves more than one man must be voluntary. Voluntary consent must come from every individual man. Every man must make his own decision on what actions to take and can not force or impose his decisions on any other man.
From the “Right to Property” the “Right to Free Trade” is derived. Without the free trade of man’s property, man would be isolated. Free trade is the social application of the right to property. This to is an individual right. This right to free trade is not derived from society or government: society or government is obligated to protect each individual’s right to free trade. Man is free to voluntary trade his effort for the effort of other men. Every part of free trade is derived from the right of the individual. Individual choices, individual agreements, and individual relationships are all voluntary. Man has the right to support his life by his own effort. Therefore the right to free trade of man’s property is the right to life.
With the “Right to Free Trade” man needed a system to protect his “Unalienable Rights” from other men. Man needed a system to enforce the rules of social conduct. Man needed a system to bar physical force from social relationships. Man needed a system to protect his rights from the use of force, to protect his property, and to settle disputes with other men.
“To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men…”
Declaration of Independence, July 4 1776
For this reason man instituted this government for the sole task of protecting the rights of the individual. Man has delegated to this government the sole use of force in order to protect man’s rights. No man can initiate force on another man. The government holds the monopoly on physical force. The government can only initiate force against those men who violate other men’s rights. The government can not initiate force against man to violate his rights, only to protect them. The government can only take action against individuals who violate other men’s rights by the threat of physical injury, threat to take property, imprisonment, or death. The government can not discriminate against whose rights it will protect; the government must protect the rights of all individuals.
When a government fails to protect any of these “Unalienable Rights” or a government deprives individuals of these rights, this is considered a breach on the governments part. When a government neglects or usurps its bound obligation, this invokes the last “Unalienable Right”. The “Right of Revolution”. The word revolution is derived from revolve. Revolve is to orbit or circle. Since man institutes governments, man has the right to throw out a government that violates or fails to protect his individual rights. This is a revolution. No man has property in future generations, so man can not obligate future generations to a system of government forever. This is the reason why our Constitution is a “living document” and can be amended by future generations.
These are the principles that our government is based on. This is the philosophy that changed the World (and still is changing it today). If these "Rights" seem foreign to you, you shouldn’t be surprised…you should be shocked. Most Americans feel that they have rights but that they are granted to them by the government. Today some Americans appeal to the government to help violate someone else’s rights or to secure more rights for themselves. Individualism recognizes the "Rights of Man" as his own and that of every individual Man.
From this “Right to Life” man has to support and sustain his life. To do this man must take action or he will die. To secure this action the “Right to Property” is derived. Without the right to property no other rights are possible. This to is an individual right. This right to property is not derived from society or government: society or government is obligated to protect each individual’s right to property. Man has the right to his own effort i.e. the right to his own mind and the right to his own labor. The right to property guarantees that man has the right to gain, to keep, to use, and to dispose of his effort. It is not a guarantee that man will gain property but if a man earns property he will own it. The only way man can lose his property without his consent is by force or fraud. No man can impose an unchosen obligation on any other man. Any undertaking that involves more than one man must be voluntary. Voluntary consent must come from every individual man. Every man must make his own decision on what actions to take and can not force or impose his decisions on any other man.
From the “Right to Property” the “Right to Free Trade” is derived. Without the free trade of man’s property, man would be isolated. Free trade is the social application of the right to property. This to is an individual right. This right to free trade is not derived from society or government: society or government is obligated to protect each individual’s right to free trade. Man is free to voluntary trade his effort for the effort of other men. Every part of free trade is derived from the right of the individual. Individual choices, individual agreements, and individual relationships are all voluntary. Man has the right to support his life by his own effort. Therefore the right to free trade of man’s property is the right to life.
With the “Right to Free Trade” man needed a system to protect his “Unalienable Rights” from other men. Man needed a system to enforce the rules of social conduct. Man needed a system to bar physical force from social relationships. Man needed a system to protect his rights from the use of force, to protect his property, and to settle disputes with other men.
“To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men…”
Declaration of Independence, July 4 1776
For this reason man instituted this government for the sole task of protecting the rights of the individual. Man has delegated to this government the sole use of force in order to protect man’s rights. No man can initiate force on another man. The government holds the monopoly on physical force. The government can only initiate force against those men who violate other men’s rights. The government can not initiate force against man to violate his rights, only to protect them. The government can only take action against individuals who violate other men’s rights by the threat of physical injury, threat to take property, imprisonment, or death. The government can not discriminate against whose rights it will protect; the government must protect the rights of all individuals.
When a government fails to protect any of these “Unalienable Rights” or a government deprives individuals of these rights, this is considered a breach on the governments part. When a government neglects or usurps its bound obligation, this invokes the last “Unalienable Right”. The “Right of Revolution”. The word revolution is derived from revolve. Revolve is to orbit or circle. Since man institutes governments, man has the right to throw out a government that violates or fails to protect his individual rights. This is a revolution. No man has property in future generations, so man can not obligate future generations to a system of government forever. This is the reason why our Constitution is a “living document” and can be amended by future generations.
These are the principles that our government is based on. This is the philosophy that changed the World (and still is changing it today). If these "Rights" seem foreign to you, you shouldn’t be surprised…you should be shocked. Most Americans feel that they have rights but that they are granted to them by the government. Today some Americans appeal to the government to help violate someone else’s rights or to secure more rights for themselves. Individualism recognizes the "Rights of Man" as his own and that of every individual Man.
I used the term “Unalienable” as it is misspelled to show the reference I used. The Declaration of Independence.
These are some people that have inspired the “rights” we now take for granted: Aristotle, Zeno, Epictectus, Cicero, Francis Bacon, Hugo Grotius, Richard Hooker, Rene Descartes, Benedict de Spinoza, Thomas Hobbes, Algernon Sidney, John Locke, Charles Montequieu, Adam Smith.
© 1998 Clifford Hallmark
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