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Posted on 07/10/2026 3:27:28 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
Clarence Thomas has defended America’s constitutional morality better than any other Supreme Court Justice in recent memory, but he subscribes to a chimerical notion of rights—so-called natural rights—that threatens this moral framework. This magazine, in our June issue, rightly praised Thomas for his fidelity to the original meaning of the Constitution, but, as the editor of paleoconservatism’s flagship publication, I must clarify that my fellow paleoconservatives generally do not believe in natural rights—and for good reason.
(Excerpt) Read more at chroniclesmagazine.org ...
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Can someone explain the discrepancy?
If you are in love with government, how can you call yourself a *-conservative ANYTHING, be it paleoconservative or anything else. If there is no God or else if at least, rights come from government instead of rights coming from God, how is this right wing in any way?
How do these people get away with calling themselves "right wing"?
Friendly ping from the Think Paleo thread, no response needed/disregard as necessary.
Let us know when Gottfried finds a way out of his ivory tower.
What conservatives are dismissive of natural rights?
"as the editor of paleoconservatism’s flagship publication, I must clarify that my fellow paleoconservatives generally do not believe in natural rights"
“What conservatives are dismissive of natural rights?”
Hard core paleo conservatives believe rights come from the social construct of family and society, rather than being intrinsic to humans at birth.
There’s not many of them.
And they are not dismissive of “natural rights”, as they understand the nation was founded on that philosophy. And the philosophy pre dates the founding...at least back to the 1600s.
Well, that may be, but its not like I haven’t detected this before.
If it is true that paleo conservatives do not believe that rights are a Gift from God that would explain a lot of why we are where we are at today.
What I didn’t know, really, was that as a bloc its paleos who hold to this idea. I just thought it was random uninformed people and not a part of one or another conservative/ideological stripe. That makes it quite the problem to address.
It deserves either scrutiny or examination or further discussion. How do people get here, and then what is their answer as to where rights come from?
Progressives do this crap. “Well yeah there’s no natural rights” and then they move on. Yeah but no now wait just a second right here. Where are rights coming from in your view Mr. Progressive???
Then they are not any kind of conservative. The USA was founded on the recognition of and defense of natural rights.
That is,
Rights come from culture.
Is that a fair good-faith summary?
If rights are not natural i.e gift from God, then they are gift from the king, government and are no “rights” at all but permissions that can be revoked.
Family is no social construct, but is God-ordained and the very basis of society itself, and natural rights can be understood in the sense of flowing from the same source. At least that’s how I always understood it.
This is my view as well.
...ummm...
In the most simplistic form, yes.
These debates ultimately get around to “What is the source of rights?” Far too many think that all rights originate, are restricted, or denied by government. The debate always seems to gravitate ultimately to the power of government. Moses gave out 10 laws which implied certain rights. The Bill of Rights enumerated more explicitly certain rights. Government has always tried to expand or contract whatever rights it deemed in its best interest. Between the 10 Commandments and the Bill of Rights, we have enough for a viable and successful civilization; however, once government becomes involved to any degree it becomes screwed up.
The hard core paleos put family at the very center of society...the cornerstone. And from that society coalesces.
That, they argue, is the origin of rights.
That said...I lean toward Natural Rights at birth...no matter what society one is born into.
But I have some sympathy for their argument.
I think the average, conservative American citizen believes his rights are God given. (Even if they aren’t sure about God, they believe they possess Natural rights - and it boils down to the same thing: Unalienable.)
And they are too busy energetically exercising those rights to waste time in the kind of intellectual contortions that this article represents.
But I guess naval gazing has its place; and its very limited audience...
What a bunch of swaddle. The Image of Gkd is *endowed* with the respect due to the Image of God. All rights derive therefrom.
And this is why, at the end of the day, I could never be a Libertarian. Same flow of logic. Internally consistent twaddle with no grip on reality.
Oh, really Paul? Get bent you scum sucking twit. You appear loaded with hubis.
Does a woman in Saudi Arabia have the right to marry the man she chooses...and to say whatever she wishes?
Natural Rights says she does.
Her society says she doesn’t.
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