Ethical Perspectives

Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer

The Rights Perspective

• Identifies certain fundamental civil, political and economic rights that merit protection or respect because they pertain to the dignity of the human person.
• Each person has a fundamental right to be respected and treated as a free and equal rational person capable of making his or her own decisions.
• Examples of rights that are traditionally recognized in this approach include: the right to privacy, autonomy, the right to subsistence, freedom of conscience, the right to physical integrity, etc.
• The principle states: Act in ways that respect the dignity of other persons by honoring or protecting their legitimate moral rights.

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