Positive liberty
a foundation for modern democracy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36399/GroundingsUG.2.268Keywords:
Freedom, Liberty, Positive Liberty, Agency, Good, Morality, Significant ActionAbstract
Freedom is a word we hear a lot. Yet it is often unclear what is meant by it. Recent anti-terrorism laws have been argued by some as safeguarding freedoms and argued by others as restricting them. In this paper, I aim to create and defend an explanation of the nature of freedom that is practical and useful. Through offering a set of criteria, and answering potential criticisms, I conclude that “freedom” must consider people’s strongest desires and take into account the multitude of internal barriers to the fulfilment of these desires. Such a definition will hopefully help us gain a clearer understanding of when our liberty is under threat: putting us in a better position to defend it.
References
Bergmann, Frithjof. On Being Free. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 1977.
Berlin, Isaiah. Two Concepts of Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1958.
Taylor, Charles. “What’s Wrong with Negative Liberty?” The Idea of Freedom Essays in Honour of Isaiah Berlin, edited by Alan Ryan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979.
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Copyright (c) 2008 David P. Macpherson
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