February 19, 2026
Rights and Duties

In the past, people spoke about the duties of human beings; servant could even be a term of honor (servus servorum was the lofty title of the popes). Then the focus shifted to speaking about rights, but this is only a linguistic matter, because every right corresponds to a duty. If I have the right to receive medical care, it means that others have the duty to provide it.

There is no action I can take that does NOT have positive or negative consequences for others, not even if I choose a beer. Therefore, rights and duties do not exist in the absolute, but only as a balance between them, which changes according to circumstances. In difficult times (war, for example) duties prevail; in happier circumstances, rights prevail.