The Often Neglected Role of Property Rights in the Advancement of Human Rights

Private property rights are often viewed as contradictory to the advancement of human rights by social critics. However, supporters of this position fail to understand the crucial role of property rights in establishing human rights. This paper explores why human rights are nonexistent in the absence of property rights. Additionally, this paper argues that property rights have been dismissed by many social critics because of the treatment of property rights in academia and the inflation of the issues that are included as human rights. Finally, the relationship between property rights and the attainment of other social goals is examined.