The Continuity of Life and the Right to Life: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

This article proposes a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between the right to life and the conditions necessary for the continuation of human life. The article begins from the premise that human life is not a static condition but a continuing process. The continuity of this process depends upon certain basic conditions, including food, shelter, and health. The absence or deprivation of these conditions does not automatically constitute a violation of the right to life. However, when deprivation becomes severe and sustained and seriously threatens the continuation of life, it may become relevant to the effective enjoyment and protection of the right to life. The article introduces the Life Continuity Framework, expressed through the conceptual sequence: Life → Process → Continuity → Necessary Conditions → Severe Deprivation → Threat to Life. The framework does not propose a new human right and does not equate basic social and economic rights with the right to life. Rather, it provides a conceptual structure for clarifying how the right to life may intersect with the material conditions necessary for the continuation of human existence. The study is theoretical and conceptual in nature. It does not present empirical testing or establish universal numerical thresholds. Future research may develop and empirically examine operational measures for the proposed Life Continuity Threshold.