Rights-based ethics centers on protecting what?

• A. Legal and moral rights and corresponding duties
• B. Maximizing overall happiness
• C. Character traits and virtues
• D. Adherence to institutional rules

Answer: (A)

Rights-based ethics centers on protecting individuals’ rights and the duties that accompany them. It holds that people have certain entitlements—such as life, liberty, and security—and moral decisions should aim to respect and safeguard those entitlements. The corresponding duties are the obligations others have to refrain from violating those rights and to act in ways that uphold them. Because the focus is on protecting rights, this framework prioritizes entitlements and duties over outcomes or personal character. That’s why the best choice is the one stating protection of legal and moral rights and the duties that accompany them. The other options reflect different ethical approaches: maximizing happiness aligns with utilitarianism; character traits and virtues align with virtue ethics; adherence to institutional rules aligns with rule-based or deontological systems that emphasize duties or rules rather than rights per se.