Quote Originally Posted by TronDD
I would like to retract my statement that rights are granted by society.

Rights exist because of Man's interaction with others. No one grants them.

This scenario hopefully demonstrates what I mean:

If you lived on an island alone, rights are a nonissue because there is no interaction with other people. If I showed up on this island and I decide I want you dead, would it be ok to kill you because no one has granted anyone any rights? Since you haven't been granted the right to life, do you let me kill you? I would think you would fight back. That would be you exercising your right to life. No one had to grant it, it just came out in our interection with each other. It would be ok to kill me in self-defense because I did not recognize your right to life. A right no one had to grant to you.

Society is simply interaction between Men. A rational society, will uphold each individual's rights and protect them from others. They use a government for that purpose.

Tim.
I have already replied to a similar "binary" argument. As soon as there are more Men, its simplicity becomes oversimplification.