> In your hypothetical example it would mean yes, they don't in that society So you mean "rights" in descriptive sense, you're talking about the de facto right

> In your hypothetical example it would mean yes, they don't in that society So you mean "rights" in descriptive sense, you're talking about the de facto rights. This obviously excludes rights that are legally violated, but which are still there (from ethical point of view). If someone asks why people should have a certain right (as nthcolumn did), they clearly mean rights in the latter sense of the word. Otherwise it's not an answer because it's circular logic: why would society grant you these rights? Because society grants you these rights. Well, like every tautology it's true ("technically", as you put it), only it's of no use :)