T. H. Green often remarks that the legitimacy of a claim-right is based upon its recognition by a sovereign community. This controversial doctrine led scholars such as Melvin Richter to spurn his theory of individual rights. The article maintains that the "recognition requirement" is much more complex and subtle than commentators have recognized, especially in relation to the right to life. Once the different forms of recognition are revealed and assessed, the doctrine becomes consistent and plausible. Consequently the article, based partially on the works of Ann Cacoullos, Rex Martin, and Geoffrey Thomas, provides a new interpretation of Green's doctrine of recognition that makes his theory of rights conceptually coherent and compelling.
