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The concept of "certain unalienable rights" is evidence that the Founding Fathers of the United States believed in God and for the most part we're strongly religious men with strong beliefs in entitlements bestowed by God upon men, and that these entitlements were so important that no earthly power can rightfully deny them. Therefore, no Government can deny these rights.

The whole of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence sheds more light on this phrasing:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Definition

The definition of "unalienable rights," is those rights that cannot be surrendered, sold or transferred to someone else - the government, for example, or another person. Some people refer to these as "natural" or "God-given" rights (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness). Certain unalienable rights, such as a Social Security number, however, are "unalienable" only because the law prohibits reassigning your number to someone else.

In contrast, "inalienable rights" are those rights that can only be transferred with the consent of the person possessing those rights.

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Wiki User

10y ago
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Anonymous

4y ago
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Anonymous

4y ago
SCP

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Declaration of Independence (excerpt):

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Cannot be surrendered [GradPoint]

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7y ago
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The Declaration of Independence does not protect inalienable rights, it merely lists those which the signers perceived England was not extending to the colonists.

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Wiki User

16y ago
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

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8y ago
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Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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Wiki User

13y ago
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All of the answers are correct

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Wiki User

11y ago
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what does the word unalienable rights mean

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ARON RODRIGUEZ

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4y ago
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Q: Which rights does the Declaration of Independence hold to be unalienable?
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