Rights

Definitional issues and distinctions between natural and legal rights

• Natural rights are derived from human nature or the edicts of a god, while legal rights are based on a society's customs, laws, statutes, or actions by legislatures.
• Natural rights are universal and cannot be taken away, while legal rights are culturally and politically relative.
• Philosophical debate has existed throughout history regarding the existence and essence of natural and legal rights.
• Some thinkers believe in only one sense of rights, while others accept the validity of both natural and legal rights.

Distinctions between different types of rights

• Claim rights entail that another person has a duty to the right-holder, while liberty rights or privileges are freedoms or permissions for the right-holder to do something.
• Positive rights are permissions to do things or entitlements to be done unto, while negative rights are permissions not to do things or entitlements to be left alone.
• Positive rights can include the right to welfare, while negative rights can include the right to non-interference.
• Active rights encompass privileges and powers, while passive rights encompass claims and immunities.

Individual and group rights

• Rights are generally possessed by individuals and cannot be infringed upon by others.
• Some argue that groups, such as soldiers in combat, can have rights that trump individual rights.
• Group rights exist when a group is seen as a distinct entity with its own will and power of action.
• Group membership can expand individual rights, giving specific rights to group members.
• Tension can arise between individual and group rights, such as conflicts between unions and their members.

Historical development of rights

• Different periods of history have seen varying systems of rights and conflicts between different groups.
• The Magna Carta, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and other historical documents marked important milestones in defining rights.
• Modern conceptions of rights emphasize liberty and equality, as seen in the American and French revolutions.
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments have established standards for behavior and recognized the inherent dignity and rights of all individuals.

Concepts and debates related to rights

• Rights are entitlements or privileges that individuals have, which can be inherent or granted by a governing authority.
• Different societies and legal systems may have varying definitions and protections of rights.
• Negative rights involve non-interference, while positive rights involve entitlement to goods or services.
• Individual rights protect minorities from oppression by majorities.
• Rights shape the forms of government, the content of laws, and our perception of morality.

Rights Mentions

Rights Data Sources