inalienable

Inalienable is an adjective describing rights or privileges that cannot be surrendered, transferred, or relinquished by individuals. In political philosophy, inalienable rights are moral claims that all people possess by virtue of being human and that governments exist to protect. This contrasts with alienable rights, which individuals may renounce or transfer through consent or law. The term is central to natural rights theory and liberal thought.

The word derives from in- meaning not, plus alienable from Latin alienabilis meaning transferable. The concept features prominently in early modern natural rights theory. In the United States, the phrase inalienable rights appears in the Declaration of Independence, describing rights as inherent and unable to be surrendered to governments. The original draft used unalienable, and the final version uses inalienable.

Philosophically, inalienable rights are linked to the idea that some moral claims cannot be justly taken away without consent. Thinkers such as John Locke argued life, liberty, and property are natural rights not granted by governments and thus not fully alienable; others have debated whether property rights are truly inalienable or subject to forfeiture.

Legally, inalienability serves as a normative claim about the limits of political authority. Some rights, such as the prohibition against torture or certain basic freedoms, are treated as inalienable in practice, even when not always labeled as such in law. Critics argue that most rights can be constrained under certain conditions, while supporters see inalienability as a safeguard against tyranny.

See also natural rights, human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, social contract.