“The thirst for equality is a characteristic of modern mores.”
Yet, couldn’t you argue that looking toward natural rights as a proxy for justice/morality is an equivalent form of equality? After all, the doctrine defines certain absolute rights based on establishment of a specific s species-it says because we are all equally human we all should have equal natural rights. Am I defining natural rights incorrectly here?
That is true. But egalitarianism does not include rights.
I am not sure. Here is my definition of a right based upon several Austrian writings on the topic: A right is a behavior that when exercised does not depend on, modify, reduce or prohibit another person exercising that same behavior.
Austrians believe that all rights are natural and come from a persons right to private property as property is required to exercise the right. I have the right of free speech but it is of little use if I do not have temporary property rights to a medium such as a newspaper, transmitter, TV station, etc. Of course the first and most important piece of property a person owns is themself. Austrians believe that most laws violate rights of people and that most crimes are not in fact crimes at all. The best example of this is the war on drugs. Most people imprisioned in this war have not violated the rights of another person.