The Daily Static
  The Daily Static
UF Archives
Register
UF Membership
Ad Free Site
Postcards
Community
Geekfinder
UFie Gear
Advertise on UF
Forum Rules
& FAQ

Username

Password


Create a New Account

  
 

Back to UserFriendly Strip Comments Index
UF Philosophy Corner - Ethics by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 08:21:28
  A right is something that is granted to by Peace_man 2008-10-21 10:31:48
every member of a society, by that society. As such, there can be no rights external to a society, and it takes a society to enforce the rights granted.

Privileges are rights granted to certain individuals within a society, by that society. The only difference between rights and privileges is that rights are privileges granted to all members of a society (and, in many cases, to visitors and foreigners), whereas privileges as such are limited to only some. All rights are privileges, but not all privileges are rights. At least, that is how I define the terms.

It is possible to forfeit both rights and privileges. In order to forfeit rights, an individual usually has to show itself to be a menace to the society granting the right; in order to forfeit a privilege, an individual merely has to stop fulfilling the criteria governing the granting of that privilege.

For example, the 'right to life' (which is actually the right to protection) is something that all members of our society have. Now that I think of it, I would say that the only time this right is denied is for those who have received a death sentence. For those who have proven themselves such a menace to society that they are deemed to have forfeited their own life.

An example of a privilege would be the right to operate an automobile. It is a privilege that is only extended to those who have proven that they have learned to do so responsibly. And it can be withdrawn if they prove that the lesson did not take, by driving irresponsibly.
[ Reply ]
    If a person never exercises a "right" by MatthewDBA2008-10-21 10:34:38
      Yes, by sgrunt2008-10-21 10:37:14
    In your example, life is a privilege by subbywan2008-10-21 10:56:18
      That's not how I define things. by Peace_man2008-10-21 21:00:38

 

[Todays Cartoon Discussion] [News Index]

Come get yer ARS (Account Registration System) Source Code here!
All images, characters, content and text are copyrighted and trademarks of J.D. Frazer except where other ownership applies. Don't do bad things, we have lawyers.
UserFriendly.Org and its operators are not liable for comments or content posted by its visitors, and will cheerfully assist the lawful authorities in hunting down script-kiddies, spammers and other net scum. And if you're really bad, we'll call your mom. (We're not kidding, we've done it before.)