Iggyvibal’s Weblog

Taking Rights Seriously

Book Title: Contemporary Moral Problems
Seventh Edition

Author: James E. White

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Moral-Problems-James-White/dp/0495553204/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235694270&sr=8-1

Library Reference:

Quote:

Learning Expectation:

I expect in this essay to learn more about rights, compared to the previous essay Taking rights seriously for me is more detailed. I mean I think in this essay the author will discuss its importance to people.

Review:

In this essay author Ronald Dworkin is university professor of Jurisprudence, Oxford University, and professor of law, New York. He is the author of A matter of Principle, Law’s Empire, A bill of Rights for Britain, Freedom’s Law: The Moral Reading of the American Constitution, Sovereign Virtue: The story and Practice of equality, and Taking Seriously.

Dorkwin’s view if people have a right to do something, then it is wrong to interfere with them. I guess this view of Dorkwin for me is good. I mean other people can’t interfere other’s work, nobody has the right to question one’s work.

According to Dorkwin, the concept of rights, and particularly the concept of rights against the Government, has its most  natural use when a society is divided, and appeals to co-operation or common goal are pointless.  This concept I think I also fair enough for the citizens, why? It is because not all government policies can recognize people’s rights, there are two distinct rights classified in the reading : Legal and Moral rights. Legal rights are rights arises from laws that government created, while Moral rights are rights of people that they think they must have. I mean for example the right of speech, everybody has the right to speak his/her mind but there governments think that there are some limitations, and they will take action against it. Generally whatever the message of those people trying to speak up is not valid reason for the government to take actions against it.

What I have learned:

I learned that rights are important to people, especially moral rights. Moral rights are rights that must be protected by the government, these rights depends on the person who owns it.
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Integrative Questions:
Who is Ronald Dworkin?
What is a legal right?
What is a moral right?
Can government interfere a moral right?
Is it right to violate the government?