What is the Difference Between Right and Privilege?

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The main difference between a right and a privilege lies in the fact that a right is an inherent entitlement that every individual has by virtue of being human, while a privilege is a special advantage or opportunity granted by power and can be given or taken away. Here are some key distinctions between rights and privileges:

  • Rights are essential for the well-being and freedom of individuals, and they protect individuals from arbitrary state or societal interference. They are often enshrined in legal codes and constitutions.
  • Privileges afford benefits based on certain status and are given to some people and withheld from others, making them conditional and subject to change or removal by those in authority controlling them. Privileges create inequality by providing certain advantages to some but not others.

For example, free speech is a right because anyone can speak freely without needing to earn or be granted permission to do so. On the other hand, a driver's license is a privilege because it can be granted or revoked, and one must meet certain requirements, such as being a certain age and passing a test, to obtain it.

Misunderstanding or blurring the distinction between rights and privileges can have damaging consequences for society, as it can lead to unequal access to opportunities and resources. It is crucial for citizens and lawmakers to understand the difference between rights and privileges to maintain a fair and just society.

Comparative Table: Right vs Privilege

The difference between a right and a privilege for table manipulation can be distinguished as follows:

Right Privilege
A right is an inherent entitlement gained by virtue of being a user or having a specific role within a database system. A privilege is a granted or restricted ability to perform specific actions on a particular table, view, sequence, procedure, or function in a database system. Examples of privileges include SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE on a table or view.
Rights are typically associated with users and roles, which define the actions that can be performed within the database system. Privileges can be granted or revoked using specific commands, such as the GRANT and REVOKE statements.
Users with certain rights can take specific actions without needing explicit permission for each action, such as creating tables or accessing certain columns. Users may need to be granted specific privileges to perform certain actions on a table, view, or other schema object, depending on the requirements of the database system.

For example, in a database system, a user with the CREATE TABLE privilege can create a table in their own schema. If a user is granted specific privileges to manipulate a table, they can execute SQL statements related to the table, such as inserting, updating, or deleting data.