answersLogoWhite

0

An individual may have two basic types of rights: natural rights and legal rights.

Legal rights are those explicitly granted by the law of one's jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, we have a right to freedom of speech, religion, association, the right to keep weapons for defense, the right to a fair trial by jury, against unjust searches, and against being forced to testify against oneself in a trial. Your ownership of a piece of property, or of an idea you invented are also important legal rights.

In the case of legal rights, we have them because the law enumerates them. They are either in the Constitution, or established by legal statute (by an act of Congress or a state legislature), or recognized by legal precedent in the common law.

Natural rights are those rights we have independent of the law. Whether we have natural rights, what those right are, and why we have them, are matters of considerable debate among political philosophers. The United States Declaration of Independence recognized the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as being granted by God. Some have held that they simply exist a priori, that is, they exist as first principles and are not dependent on anything, including the existence of a divine power as grantor. Other philosophers have asserted that there are no natural rights at all, only legal rights.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

How dows the constitution protect individual rights?

Bill of Rights protects the individual rights.Bill of rights protects the individual rights.


What is true of loyalty boards?

They did not care about individual rights


What is the difference between individual rights and collective rights?

Individual rights refer to the rights possessed by individual people, such as freedom of speech or the right to privacy. Collective rights, on the other hand, are rights held by a group of individuals, such as indigenous peoples or minority groups, based on their shared identity or culture. While individual rights focus on the rights of each person as an individual, collective rights focus on the rights of a group as a whole.


What are some examples of individual rights?

An example of individual rights is freedom of speech.


How do constitutional rights impact individual rights?

They prevent the government from abusing the individual.


When was Center for Individual Rights created?

Center for Individual Rights was created in 1988.


Whose rights come first when there is a conflict between an individuals rights and the rights of the community?

There are no "community rights" but individual rights are what is supported. Often the individual rights extents to the community especially when there is a Supreme Court ruling, but it starts with the individual.


What was the impact of individual rights during World War 1?

The individual rights were created for each country to follow. None of the countries obeyed the individual rights.


What is protected by the Bill of Rights?

Individual Rights


What do the individual rights do?

Individual rights are distinct from civil or legal rights as these are rights granted by government to citizens and will vary with the organization and administration of governments. Individual rights identify a boundary of just social interactions in presence or absence of government.


How can individual rights be respected in a supportive relationship?

By its nature, a supportive relationship respects individual rights by way of equal treatment. As long as no individual exercises control over another, individual rights will be upheld.


When was Foundation for Individual Rights in Education created?

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education was created in 1999.