what does "state of nature" mean?
is it a person's rights?
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22state+of+nature%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
I'd start with the third article, and then I'd read the first one.
The term "state of nature" refers to a hypothetical concept in philosophy, political theory, and social science. It is commonly used to describe the condition of human existence before the establishment of any organized or governed society. The idea behind the state of nature is to understand what life would be like in the absence of a structured society, laws, and government.
In this theoretical state, individuals live in a purely natural and ungoverned setting, characterized by freedom, equality, and self-preservation. The state of nature is often associated with the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who famously described this hypothetical condition as a "war of all against all," where life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Others, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, had a more positive view, envisioning a state of nature as a peaceful and egalitarian existence.
Regarding the second part of your question, while the concept of the state of nature may touch upon the topic of individual rights, it primarily deals with human existence in its most basic and uncivilized form. The discussion of rights, on the other hand, often arises when examining the transition from the state of nature to a social contract or a governed society.