14 Jan '10 03:50>
Originally posted by AThousandYoungOK. Instead of Liberty and Welfare Rights, I should have said Negative and Positive Rights.
Oh, you're right about the Right. The correct term is Claim Rights, not Welfare Rights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_right
No, wait, that's not what I mean. That article suggests that the Right to Life is a Claim Right, because it obligates others to not kill you.
Hmmm.
Here we go I think. THIS is what I was talking about...I think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_and_positive_rights
A Person (e.g. our hypothetical Lion) may not kill another Person (our Gazelles) for food, because the Gazelles have a negative right to life against other Persons. That means the other Persons may NOT morally take away the Gazelles' life.
However, the Lion does not have a positive right to life against the Gazelle, i.e. the Gazelle is not obligated to keep the Lion alive. The Lion has a negative right to life against the Gazelle; the Gazelle may not take the Lion's life.