Is Health Care a Human Right?

[Jazzy]

I just wanted to see what people thought of this question. I saw it posted on another forum and got me thinking. Simple poll: Yes or No. The results are anonymous unless you post what you voted.

[Ahso!]

Sorry to do this to you, Jazzy, but I'll need a definition for 'human rights."

[spot]

It depends on which legislative body you reside under. Human rights are declared by statute, they don't exist in any other sense. They change from time to time. It used to be a human right to own slaves, for example, or to exercise authority within the family by physically beating the wife, children and servants.

[Elvira]

I think that every individual has a right to take care of their own health, or to not have another negatively impact their health, but a RIGHT to healthcare? I don't think so - that's not to say I don't think that the NHS and equivalent are great systems, but I don't think that it's our RIGHT as humans......

[hoppy]

We have a right to seek care or care for ourselves. Not long ago our kin treated their own ills. Some of these home remedies worked, some didn't, just like today's medicines.

[spot]

We have a right to seek care or care for ourselves. Not long ago our kin treated their own ills. Some of these home remedies worked, some didn't, just like today's medicines.

That deals with the Americans then, hoppy. So do we Europeans a human right to health care, in your opinion?

[hoppy]

That deals with the Americans then, hoppy. So do we Europeans a human right to health care, in your opinion?

Look after yourselves however you want.

[yaaarrrgg]

I think the question could be rephrase as a legal or moral question. On the latter, this question is equivalent to:

If a person is sick or injured, and we are capable of helping, is it morally permissible to do nothing and watch them die?

[yaaarrrgg]

Look after yourselves however you want.

I don't recall Jesus teaching the virtues of selfishness. What did he say... help the sick, feed the poor? Not rape the kids, and withhold health care.

[spot]

I think the question could be rephrase as a legal or moral question. On the latter, this question is equivalent to:

If a person is sick or injured, and we are capable of helping, is it morally permissible to do nothing and watch them die?

Just die? Or would you like to include suffer in that as well? Or are you only proposing a moral responsibility to save life instead of improve it?