What are Rights?

A right, in the sense this chapter uses the word, is not just anything a person wants — it is an entitlement or a justified claim: something we consider is due to us, and something the rest of society must recognise and uphold. Wanting to wear clothes of your choice to school, or wanting to stay out late, does not by itself make either of these a right, even if you feel strongly about it. What separates a mere want from a right is that a right must be justifiable to others as something necessary and legitimate, not simply desirable to the person claiming it.

There are two broad grounds on which claims to rights are typically made. The first is that certain things are necessary for leading a life of dignity and self-respect. The right to livelihood is a good example: having a job gives a person economic independence, which is central to their sense of dignity and to their freedom to pursue their own talents and interests. The right to freedom of expression works the same way — it lets people create and think and speak for themselves, whether in writing, art, or public debate, and this kind of free expression is also essential for a functioning democratic government, since it allows the open expression of beliefs and opinions. Because rights of this kind matter for every human being living in society, they are described as universal in nature. …