Rights

A right is something a person has which people think should not be taken away. It is a rule about what a person is allowed to do or have. A right is different from a privilege, which is something that must be earned.

Rights may be put into laws, so they have legal protection. But a right can exist where most people think it is good (just). 

Examples
Many think people have a "right to life".  That means that if one person kills another, the killer would be taking away the victim's "right to life". It also means life should be preserved or guarded when it is threatened in other ways.
People may also have a "right to property". It means they can own property. It also means people should not steal things from each other.
In many countries, people have a "right to free speech", which means other people should not stop them from speaking their opinions. Some countries have laws which allow newspapers and television to give opinions. They can speak against their government if they wish to.
People can defend themselves if other people attack them. That is called self-defense.

 References 

Related pages
 Civil and political rights
 Constitution
 Constitutional economics
 Human rights
 Rule of law
 Natural rights


Category:Social concepts