Today, August 29th, is Individual Rights Day. This day is meant to celebrate the birthday, life, and philosophical teachings of John Locke. The topic of human rights had been discussed for decades before. However, Locke was the first to firmly argue that it is the government’s responsibility to recognize such rights and safeguard them.
History of Individual Rights Day
English philosopher John Locke was born on August 29, 1632, in Wrington, UK. Throughout his life he focused his passions toward standing up for the individual. Later, in 1689, Locke wrote “Essay Concerning Human Understanding”. Fittingly, the essay outlined the theory of human identity. Not surprisingly, this essay, and many others like it, would go on to greatly inspire Enlightenment thinkers. Locke was known for saying things such as “Anything that a man has as a matter of human rights or civil rights is to remain inviolably his.”
Sadly, the exact year that Individual Rights Day became a holiday is unknown. However, the day is credited to Dr. Tom Stevens. Dr. Stevens was the founder of the Objectivist Party. The Objectivist Party was founded on February 2, 2008, on the birthday of philosopher and author Ayn Rand. Further, it was Ms. Rand who developed Objectivism. She first explained the system in The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Though most philosophers ignore or reject Objectivism, it still influences the libertarians and conservatives.
How to Observe
As always, one of the best ways to observe such a day is to take time to learn more about it. Therefore, try reading about John Locke and his views on individual human rights. Moreover, you can dive deeper and see how your individual rights have developed throughout history. Lastly, the internet has provided a wonderful tool for the public to discuss thoughts and new ideas on the subject. Overall, today, just take some time to think about how important it is that someone stood up for your rights.
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Sources: National Today; Days of the Year; World Times Hindi; Wikipedia
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