Locke, Mencius, and Their Conceptions of Human Dignity and Rights

ABSTRACT: This paper compares John Locke’s conception of natural rights with that of Mencius. Although Mencius did not use the modern language of natural rights, he stressed rulers’ political duties to their subjects. The paper argues that there are important similarities between the two conceptions, despite notable differences. This resemblance lies in the fact that both Locke and Mencius derived their conceptions of natural rights from two sources: The first is their religiously inspired theories of human nature, or the divine origin of human nature. The second is their religiously inspired theories of political ethics, or the divine origin of political duties. It is through these two sources that both Locke and Mencius deduced their conceptions of natural rights.