The term human rights can be easily defined as the rights one has simply because he or she is human. This definition, although correct, does not fully convey what it means to have and utilize human rights and the importance of those rights.
Human rights address a specific arena of the human condition.
These rights, are not necessarily required to live, but are required to live well. Human rights are not based upon biological needs, for instance food and shelter, but rather upon the dignity of humans. Essential to this concept of intact human dignity, is the idea of autonomy, or the ability for self-determination. Without the power to make decisions for one s self or choose one s own path, one cannot truly live well and with complete dignity. That is the moral vision underlying human rights.