Which statement about natural rights reflects Enlightenment thinking?

Which statement about natural rights reflects Enlightenment thinking?

• A. Rights are granted by the state
• B. People have natural rights that cannot be taken away
• C. Rights come from wealth
• D. Rights exist only for property owners

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that rights are inherent to all human beings, not granted by any government. Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke argued that reason and nature confer basic rights—typically life, liberty, and property—that exist independently of rulers. Because these rights are natural and inalienable, they cannot be taken away by the state or by those in power, and they apply to all people, not just certain classes. That’s why the statement describing natural rights as something people inherently have and that cannot be removed best captures Enlightenment thinking. The other ideas—rights coming from the state, from wealth, or existing only for property owners—conflict with the view that rights are universal and predate government.

The key idea is that rights are inherent to all human beings, not granted by any government. Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke argued that reason and nature confer basic rights—typically life, liberty, and property—that exist independently of rulers. Because these rights are natural and inalienable, they cannot be taken away by the state or by those in power, and they apply to all people, not just certain classes.

That’s why the statement describing natural rights as something people inherently have and that cannot be removed best captures Enlightenment thinking. The other ideas—rights coming from the state, from wealth, or existing only for property owners—conflict with the view that rights are universal and predate government.