Negative and Positive Rights

Negative rights are freedoms from interference; they require others, especially the government, to abstain from interfering in individual actions. Examples include the right to free speech and privacy. Positive rights, on the other hand, involve entitlements to certain benefits or services, necessitating action from others to ensure they are met, such as the right to education or healthcare. In essence, negative rights protect individual liberty by limiting intervention, while positive rights promote well-being by demanding provision of certain resources or support. Both types of rights play crucial roles in protecting human dignity and fostering a just society.