Rousseau

Rousseau introduces the notion of how can we have a law of nature if we do not completely understand the original nature of people, that is why he has attepted to trace human kind back to what he believed to be their original state of nature. Likewise The notion of natural right is also related closely to natural law. It is conventionally believed that natural rights are the claims or entitlements people have because they are considered to be rational beings; for instance we can have a natural right protect our own lives and property. Rousseau on the other hand bases his idea of natural right on the principles of pity and self-preservation, which he believes have existed before reason and before people became communal and formed political organizations. As mentioned Rousseau names pity as one of the two significant concepts existing before reason, which he bases his theory of natural right. This is evident by the fact that, all humans feel horror upon witnessing the suffering of another pain-feeling creature. Rousseau maintains that because humans feel this impulse of pity towards others they will not willingly harm each other and other creatures, unless their own self-preservation is at stake. In addition savage humankind did not keenly endeavour to do good towards others, on the contrary they where only stopped from harming each other by this innate pity they felt towards other creatures. Natural Right is based on pity and self- preservation because, for Rousseau they were the most basic impulses that existed. An example that Rousseau uses to further illustrate this point is as follows: "A man who from a place of confinement, is compelled to behold a wild beast tear a child from the arms of its mother-What horrid agitation must the beholder of such a scene experience, although he would not be personally concerned!" Such is the force of natural compassion, which the greatest depravity of morals has yet hardly been able to destroy!".