Many people argue that a fundamental right to freedom is worthless if people aren't able to exercise that freedom. A right to freedom, then, implies that every human being also has a fundamental right to what is necessary to secure a minimum level of well being. Positive rights, therefore, are rights that provide something that people need to secure their well being, such as a right to an education, the right to food, the right to medical care, the right to housing, or the right to a job. A young person's right to an education, for example, imposes on us a duty to provide that young person with an education. Whenever we are confronted with a moral dilemma, we need to consider whether the action would respect the basic rights of each of the individuals involved.
Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals.
Sometimes the rights of individuals will come into conflict and one has to decide which right has priority. We may all agree, for example, that everyone has a right to freedom of association as well as a right not to be discriminated against. But suppose a private club has a policy that excludes women from joining. In cases such as this, we need to examine the freedoms or interests at stake and decide which of the two is the more crucial for securing human dignity. Rights, then, play a central role in ethics.