I have been trying to provide a summary of the book Justice: Right and Wrong by Nicholas Wolterstorff. The wide ranging issues he covers in the book is amazing. As much as he developed this theory, so much so he fended off objections from his critic. The link of the previous chapter is here.
In Chapter 11, Nick picks up theoretical matter once again. The chapter is titled 'Accounting for Rights'. This chapter is important because this one explains what right really means. And he argues that rights are about social relationships. It is something you have a claim against me and I have a claim against you by virtue of being a social being. And when this kind of claims are adequately respected by members of the society, there is justice in the society and society flourishes. Without such respect of claims, there is a violation of justice.
For example, I have a right claim against you to your not holding me back from speaking my native tongue. If you hold me back from speaking my native tongue just because you are the police officer, you wrong me by not allowing me to enjoy my right. I have been deprived of a good I have a claim against you. Just as I have a right claim against you for your doing or not doing certain thing towards me, you have an obligation of duty towards me for doing or not doing certain things towards me. Similarly, you have a right claim against me for doing or not doing certain thing towards you, and I have an obligation of duty to not doing or doing certain things towards. And respecting this right claim-obligation duty relation is the key component in a just society. If this relation collapses, injustice will prevail.
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