Comment on Is the right to abortion a "negative right" or a "positive right"?
ravheim@lemmy.world 7 months ago
I’m of the belief that separating out rights into different groups allows societies or governments a way to weasel out of protecting certain groups because it’s not socially or politically advantageous. Reading through the information on positive or negative rights, it seems that’s a pretty common concern. Also looks as if that’s the entire point since it stems from legal philosophy. Bodily autonomy of the mother is an absolute right. Abortion is an absolute right. Only a woman and her doctor should be involved in medical decisions.
theyoyomaster@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s not separating them out to groups because it’s a fun thing to do, it’s a literal function of how rights work. Negative rights are things they can’t take away and positive rights are things they have to give you. Both positive and negative rights can be absolute rights, but whether or not they are something that can’t be taken or must be given is important in how they are implemented in any system of government.