Throughout history, different countries, societies and cultures have defined or clarified ‘human rights’ to suit their own contexts. In some communities, ‘human rights’ include a specific set of laws and legislation. In others, ‘human rights’ are simply guidelines that reflect the morals and expectations of individuals within that community.

The concept of natural rights (as in those that are naturally given) arises from the belief that there is an instinctive human ability to distinguish right from wrong.

Philosophers who base their theories on natural rights are also referred to as natural law thinkers. For example, Hugo Grotius believed that people have a ‘right reason’ for doing things. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Immanuel Kant were supporters of natural rights theories, suggesting that we have basic fundamental rights because we are born human. Natural law thinkers see rights as universal (the same for everyone) and inalienable (meaning that they can’t be taken away from us).