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We usually think of moral rights as properties of individuals, but this is not the only possibility. In some cases we speak of rights as properties of a group (such as a Native American tribe) or certain institutions (such as a business corporation, a labor union, or the family). Although discussions of affirmative action usually refer to individual rights, the notion of group rights can also be relevant. Someone might say, for example, that blacks have a group right to self-determination or a group right to compensation.

Rights are commonly divided into two groups: positive and natural. Positive rights are created by governments. Our constitutional right to free speech is one example. Natural rights are thought to exist independent of governments. We sometimes appeal to natural rights in order to criticize governments. While we often refer to rights in everyday conversation, there is no agreement among philosophers as to which rights people have or what the basis of our rights is. Some philosophers base their theories of rights on reason alone. Others base them on long term social utility. Still others argue for a theological basis.