Labor and Inalienable Rights

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Aug 27, 2026 · 6m

Language philosopher Bry Willis ksDavid Ellerman's argument that the modern employment contract is fundamentally flawed because it attempts to treat human agency as a transferable commodity. Using a legal analogy involving a crime, he demonstrates that while physical objects like vans can be alienated, a person’s responsibility for their actions cannot be surrendered to another. This perspective draws on Enlightenment principles regarding inalienable rights, specifically citing the work of Francis Hutcheson and Martin Luther to support the idea that decision-making power is inherently part of…