Re bclintonk’s post #260: On the one hand, I agree that a very large number of people now use “privilege” exactly as it is used on this thread–and even the OED won’t really help me out.
Yet I think that it is worth making distinctions among the following concepts, however one labels them:
R: A fundamental human right, that is inalienable. The fact that a right may be violated does not make it any less a right. Every human being should be concerned to ensure that the fundamental rights of every other human being are secure, regardless of location on the planet (or off it), and any personal characteristics.
A: An advantage, which may result from an accident of birth. It is a fact that some people have advantages that others do not. I have many advantages, and a very small number of disadvantages. To the extent that we can provide high quality opportunities to everyone, I think we should do that, and minimize the differences due to advantaged/disadvantaged status. I might classify it as “unfair” that some people have A’s which others do not, but this does not compel me to action in the way that a violation of R’s would/should. I am taking some actions in my community and internationally to try to see that A’s are distributed more broadly. But to some extent, some A’s are the result of things that are beyond my control or modification (barring some extremes).
P: This is an advantage that is actually granted by another person. P’s could be revoked, because they have been granted at the dispensation of some person. So some A’s are P’s, but some are not–those would be the A’s that cannot be altered (again, barring extremes).
I think it is very important not to mix R’s with P’s. We need to absolutely insist on R’s. In that regard, I agree with bclintonk to a certain extent. However, to call American legal and Constitutions rights P’s rather than R’s, in my opinion, risks downplaying the central importance of ensuring R’s to everyone.
In my view, it is less important to differentiate between A’s and P’s, but I think this distinction is useful, too. In my view, P’s ought to be equally available to everyone. P’s are granted. They could be granted to everyone. A’s, on the other hand, are not handed out. Rather, they are things that happen, often accompanying birth or even conception. We can, and in many cases,should compensate for A’s, by reducing the societal impact of different life situations, but I do not think that full equalization is achievable for A’s, as opposed to P’s.