[JamesP81]

So how do I determine if a right exists or doesn't? What is the litmus test? You can't say, "You just know." That won't fly in court

Neither does this apparent claim in your argument that what rights we have are defined by the government. After all, you did claim there would be additional rights we normally wouldn't have if there was anarchy.

[psychoknk]

Neither does this apparent claim in your argument that what rights we have are defined by the government.

Ah, but I did not say that. I said that the government secures rights by curbing other ones. I would define a right as being anything that the government doesn't forbid you to do. In the state of anarchy, there is no government, so you aren't forbidden from doing anything, so you have the right to do anything you wish. With a government in place, you are forbidden to murder people. Hence, your right to life is secured, even if it is not expressly secured by the government. You are forbidden to steal, hence your right to property is secured.