Abstract
In an essay originally published in 1955, H.L.A. Hart was able to locate virtually any right within one of two categories. Hart described "special rights" as those rights that arise in virtue of particular transactions between persons, or in virtue of some special relationship in which individuals stand to one another. In contrast with special rights, Hart described "general rights," or those rights (e.g., freedom of speech, due process of law) that arise simply in virtue of "the equal right of all men to be free. The critical distinction between these two broad categories of rights is to be found in their differing scopes. Special rights serve the interests of, and impose duties upon, only those certain individuals privately involved with one another. General rights are held in common by all persons and thus serve the interests of, and impose duties upon, everyone.