Changes

For starters, no, there was not always a notion of human rights that entitled every individual to be valued and respected (and entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) by virtue of their humanity. The earliest ethical thinkers would have scoffed at such a notion! Aristotle famously remarks in the <i>Politics</i> that some men are born natural slaves and thus, it is not only proper, but just, that they are enslaved: “It is thus clear that just as some are by nature free, so others are by nature slaves, and for these latter the condition of slavery is both beneficial and just.”<ref> Aristotle, <i>Politics</i>, trans. Ernest Barker. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1962), I.v.§ 10,1255a</ref> For Aristotle, at least, there is no apparent or inherent value and dignity to human life that should be applied universally to all persons. The value of a human life is proportionate to his or her intellectual capacities and contributions to the <i>polis</i>. In other words, no one has the “right-to” liberty because they are born human. As Alsadair McIntyre famously argues, there is absolutely no concept of human rights in ancient ethics.<ref>McIntyre, Alasdair. <i>After Virtue</i>. (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1984), pg. 69</ref>Ultimately, humans were not always sold by the idea that their fellow humans were worth protecting and advocating for---so if the ancient Greeks didn’t conceive of the notion-who did?