Freedom Flashcards
What is freedom for an early liberal?
A natural right
For early liberals what did freedom give individuals the opportunity to do?
Pursue their own interests by exercising choice such as the choice of where to live, work etc.
How have later liberals viewed freedom?
The only condition in which people are able to develop their skills and talents and fulfill their potential
What do liberals not accept?
That individuals have an absolute right to freedom
What can happen if liberty is unlimited?
It can become “license”, the right to abuse others
What did John Stuart Mill argue in “on liberty”?
That the only purpose for which a person’s liberty can be limited is to prevent harm to others
What is John Stuart Mill?
A libertarian
What is a libertarian?
Someone who accepts only the most minimal restrictions on individual freedom
What does Mill not accept?
Any restrictions on the individual that are designed to prevent a person from damaging him/herself either physically or morally
What does such a libertarian view suggest?
That seatbelt and helmet laws are unacceptable, as is any form of censorship limiting what a person may read or listen to
What may radical libertarians defend?
The right of individuals to use addictive drugs
What did John Rawls express?
The principle that everyone is entitled to the widest possible liberty consistent with a like liberty for all
Who distinguished between two concepts of liberty?
Isaiah Berlin in “two concepts of liberty”
What two types of liberty did Berlin develop?
Positive and negative freedom
Which concept of liberty do classical liberals prefer?
Negative freedom
Define negative freedom
Freedom consists of each person being left alone, free from interference and able to act in whatever way they may choose
Why is negative freedom negative?
Because it is based on the absence of external restrictions or constraints of the individual
Which concept of freedom do modern liberals prefer?
Positive freedom
Define positive freedom
The ability to be ones own master, to be autonomous. Self mastery requires that the individual is able to develop skills and talents, broaden their understanding and gain fulfilment
What did positive freedom lead to an emphasis on?
The capacity of human beings to develop and ultimately achieve self-realisation
What have these rival conceptions of liberty encouraged?
Liberals to hold very different views about the desirable relationships between the individual and the state
