rights, natural

Doctrine, deriving from medieval philosophy but articulated by John Locke, that human beings as individuals have certain absolute moral claims or entitlements. Locke identified three natural rights: to life, liberty, and property. The first two are also included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and most states pay at least lip service to the concept of rights.

The doctrine of natural rights has been criticized on the grounds that no rights are absolute and that natural rights are a myth.