Natural Rights & Thomas Hobbes

Natural rights theories have played a crucial role in the development of philosophy. Thomas Hobbes, a well known philosopher of the 18th century, addressed the idea of natural rights. It has always been a matter of debate in the history of philosophy as to what kinds of rights individuals have over what, when and how these rights may be characterised as natural rights, and whether or not they need to be safeguarded. This is likely to continue in the future. According to the doctrine of natural rights, people are naturally endowed with certain rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and property, rather than as a result of existing customs or laws. In both philosophical and legal history, the concept of natural rights has a long history.