I believe in precision. I believe that words should be used precisely, because using them sloppily can lead to confusion and conflation. One word that is used imprecisely–to our detriment–is the word right. This particular word needs to be used with precision because of how powerful it is. It has the power to impose an obligation on other people, so it must be used precisely.
The way that some people use the word right is actually in keeping with an entirely different word–privilege. In my childhood home we were taught, from the time that we were old enough to understand, what a privilege is. It was a privilege to drink soda pop on a special occasion or to stay up late on the weekend. It was not a right. It was a special favor granted to us by our parents and at some cost to them.
I have seen the word privilege used as a synonym for right, and I think it is a huge mistake that anyone ever did so. I believe that the two words have–or at least should have–distinct meanings. I think that if we were to define them distinctly and precisely, we could communicate better in the extremely important discussion about government power and freedom.
What is a right? Here are the necessary characteristics for calling something a right:
- It is something that human beings possess naturally and inherently. It belongs to you because you are a human being made in God’s image. You are born with it.
- It has not been given to you by other people and should not be taken from you. No government can grant it, and no government should violate it. If a government violates people’s rights, it is usurping God’s authority.
- It is universal. Since it is inherent to human beings, all human beings have the same ones.
- It is recognized universally–or very nearly so. Since everybody wants his or her rights recognized by others, it logically follows that he or she must recognize the rights of others.
- It imposes only a passive (or negative) obligation on other people. It says what others may not do to you.
Here are the characteristics of a privilege:
- It is something that is given to you by somebody else.
- It is usually something that certain people have while other people do not have it. For example, some people receive the privilege of going to college at no cost to them, while other people must students must pay full tuition.
- It is open to dispute and is often disputed. For example, should people have the privilege of free health care? That question is debatable.
- It imposes an active (or positive) obligation on other people. It says what somebody else must do for you.Here are what I consider a valid definitions for the two words:
right–something that is claimed by almost all people and recognized by almost all people as an inherent property or quality of human beings that imposes a passive or negative obligation on other human beings
privilege–something that people ask for or that somebody voluntarily grants to another as a special favor that imposes an active or positive obligation on the one providing it
Here are some examples of both:
“I have a right to life.” Life is one thing that clearly belongs to each person. God gives it to us. Nobody wants to die. Everybody has a survival instinct. We all pretty much agree that everybody has that right. It’s why societies have laws against murder. Indeed, the right to life imposes the obligation on others not to commit murder. The most important thing to note is that claiming the right to life does not impose any burden on other people other than to leave you alone. It is something that you can demand of other people without harming them or violating any of their rights.
Even murderers recognize the right not to be murdered. Most of them would not want to be murdered themselves. They wouldn’t want their loved ones murdered. In fact, most murderers would seek revenge against somebody who dared to murder a person that they care about. So, although they violated somebody else’s right to life, they themselves recognize that there is such a right.
“I have a right to a free education.” Everybody has a right to go to school if there is a school and if the tuition payments are covered and if he or she has a way to get there. That’s not the same as a right to go to school for free. The reason it is a right to go to school is that other people simply have to let you do it. It imposes no obligation on them to do anything for you. To go for free, however, is a privilege. Somebody has to pay for it. Teachers need a way to make a living. The facilities cost money. So, if I demand that I get a free education, I am demanding that somebody else pay for what I am receiving. If somebody agrees to pay for it, that person or group of people are granting a privilege to me. If I use the power of government to force other people to pay for it, then I am violating the right of those people to keep their own property. (Which leads to . . . )
“I have a right to keep what belongs to me.” As long as you have honestly and fairly earned something, it is yours. Nobody has the right to take it from you. It is (or at least should be) universally recognized as a right, since nobody likes having their property stolen. In fact, it is the basis for laws against theft. Oddly enough, some people exempt government from the negative obligation imposed by this right. They claim that it is wrong for your neighbor to steal some of the pay that you receive from your employer, but it is okay for the tax collectors to take (steal) it. Even more oddly, I think, is the fact that those who say that it is okay for the government to take your money away from you would call the police if you tried to take their property from them.
“I have a right to free health care.” You have the right to go to the hospital and pay for your care. You have the right to hire a doctor. You have the right to take out an insurance policy–if you wish–to cover your medical costs. If you, however, ask somebody else to pay for your medical costs, you are asking for a privilege. If somebody grants it, good for you. If you demand that somebody do it, though, you are attempting to violate that person’s rights–which is unjust of you.
As people discuss the subject of rights, it would be very helpful to use the word right precisely and not to confuse it with privilege. It would help give people a valid ground for asserting their actual rights. It would also give us a way to honestly discuss privileges–whether they should be granted, to what extent, and by whom.