IMHO...
This professor is the poster child for why our colleges are not worth attending unless one is majoring in engineering, etc.
His degree should be revoked, there’s a real simple reason why: his meanderings attempt to discuss the concept of natural rights, presumably those mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, he cites one author from 1955 and one from the 19th century and uses them to hypothesize that “natural rights” were an invention of the Enlightenment period, largely the 18th century, and did not exist in Europe prior to then. And then he proceeds to discuss Confucianism and islam, completely avoiding any discussion of Christian theology.
Whatever his beliefs are, the marks of Christian theology on 18th century European philosophy are obvious, and must be included in any meaningful discussion. In fact, the role of Christianity in appealing for rights in Europe was so foundational that this man’s blabbering would only warrant attention from a college freshman who graduated from a public high school or a typical U.S. newspaper; the latter would know his words were a hollow lie, the former would not.
Even if he asserts that his motive was pure political propaganda, his rambling references to other writers will ring true only with others similarly indoctrinated as himself, to believe in the deity of the intellectual.
Most troubling are the New York Times readers who comment after the article.
Most are ignorant of both history and logic, and of those few who appear to have some education, most view “natural rights”, God, or both with contempt. Hopefully they will learn about natural rights before they are denied them by an authoritarian government.
There is a need to spread basic understanding of how America came to be and the whole history of the development of it’s founding principles, starting in 13th century Europe.
Most are ignorant of both history and logic, and of those few who appear to have some education, most view “natural rights”, God, or both with contempt. Hopefully they will learn about natural rights before they are denied them by an authoritarian government.
There is a need to spread basic understanding of how America came to be and the whole history of the development of it’s founding principles, starting in 13th century Europe.
Two words:
Hillsdale College.
Cheers!
At least. I would even venture to go back to the Old Testament and the insistence on the care given to widows and orphans. Hell, if you want to, you can even trace it back to the creation narratives. The Jewish people had no qualms about attributing these rights to their proper Creator.