Defending Rights Boundaries In The Name Of Morality

Only by having sufficient and inviolable "rights" can people exist freely in society,so "seeking defense for rights" has become a key issue in political philosophy.To this end,philosophers either resorted to natural law,or turned to God,or resorted to reason,or hoped for utility.In Robert Nozick’s view,only morality can provide a sufficient justification for the legitimacy of rights.To this end,he raised the argument for rights to a moral level,and then constructed a moral boundary theory to defend rights."Right" is the core concept in moral boundary theory,referring to the specific rights entrusted to individuals by morality.Nozick believes that on the one hand,individuals should follow their moral obligations,respect the rights of others,and regard them as insurmountable behavioral boundaries.On the other hand,individual rights are protected by morality,and collectives must not violate individual rights in any name.This article will use the rights view of moral boundary theory as a clue,so as to gain some inspiration from China’s adherence to respect for individual rights.The full text is arranged as follows:The first part is to sort out the background,origin and characteristics of Nozick’s moral boundary theory.This part first introduces neoclassical liberalism’s understanding of the concept of "rights" and how Nozick inherited and developed the traditional concepts of "natural rights","moral laws" and "night watchmen",and finally summarizes the moral boundary theory feature.The second part introduces the main content of Nozick’s moral boundary theory.This part will explain the source of rights,clarify the content of rights,and determine the boundaries of rights from the perspective of "individuals" and "states",and analyze the role of moral boundaries in protecting individual rights and establishing the role of the state.The third part is to evaluate the rationality and limitations of Nozick’s moral boundary theory.This part will combine the academic circle’s approval and questioning of Nozick’s moral boundary theory,and then elaborate the reference of the moral boundary theory to the development of China’s social reality.