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Paper 3 - Political Philosophy > Liberty > Flashcards

Liberty Flashcards

1
Q

What are the arguments in regards to positive vs. negative liberty? (For, Objections, Alternative, Objections)

A
  • Berlin
  • We do not value liberty quantitively
  • Taylor
  • Slippery slope
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2
Q

What is your line of argument in regards to positive vs. negative liberty?

A
  • Positive liberty results in undesired consequences.
  • Whilst negative liberty has its flaws, it is better than positive liberty.
  • Perhaps we should advocate for republicanism.
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3
Q

What is Berlin’s argument for negative liberty? (Three points)

A
  • That liberty is the absence of external objects.
  • You are considered unfree if another person prevents you from achieveing your goals.
  • Accounts for the pluralism of values.
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4
Q

What external obstacles does Berlin not include?

A

Natural obstacles.

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5
Q

In what way does Berlin account for the pluralism of values?

A

Someone is able to decide and pursue the values and goals he wants.

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6
Q

What are the benefits of Berlin’s negative liberty? (Two points)

A
  • Seems intuitive.
  • Does not restrict people on the basis of some abstract and general ideal.
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7
Q

What are the objections to Berlin’s negative liberty? (Two points)

A
  • We do not consider all external obstacles in the same regard.
  • Doesn’t capture what we value about liberty.
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8
Q

In what we do we not consider all external obstacles in the same regard?

A

We consider traffic lights as a minor interference on our liberty whilst not being able to practice religion as a massive interference.

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9
Q

What is the issue with negative liberty according to Taylor?

A

It is purely quantitive whereas it should be qualitative.

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10
Q

What is Taylor’s argument for positive liberty? (Three points)

A
  • Liberty is about self-mastery.
  • When we satisfy our lower desires over our higher desires we are unfree.
  • Once we rid ourselves of lower desires then we are free.
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11
Q

What does Taylor claim that we tend to confuse?

A

What we truly want.

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12
Q

How do we not confuse what we truly want according to Taylor?

A

By becoming more rational.

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13
Q

How do we become more rational according to Taylor?

A

Society must encourage us to pursue our higher desires.

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14
Q

What happens if we cannot become more rational according to Taylor?

A

We must seek help from those we deem to be more rational to help us see our higher desires.

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15
Q

What are the benefits of Taylor’s positive liberty? (Two points)

A
  • It accounts for the fact that we do not always know what we want.
  • How we can be rendered unfree by our own desires such as addictions.
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16
Q

What are the objections to Taylor’s positive liberty? (Three points)

A
  • It is a slippery slope.
  • How do we know what is the more rational?
  • Does not consider a pluralism of values.
17
Q

How is there a slippery slope in regards to positive liberty? (Two points)

A
  • If others are allowed to determine what are the higher values it seems to advocate for an authoritative ideology.
  • Those considered more rational could enforce and coerce those less rational to do what they deem to be right.
18
Q

In what way does positive liberty not account for a pluralism of values?

A

It does not allow people to set there own goals as their goals must be what is deemed to be most rational.

19
Q

How should liberty treat mistakes?

A

We should be free to make mistakes and act on them.

20
Q

What are the arguments in regards to whether republicanism is a good theory? (For, Objections)

A
  • Skinner
  • Indistinct concept of liberty.
21
Q

What is your line of argument in regards to whether republicanism is a good theory?

A

Whilst republicanism does seem to lack in certain areas of what we would consider to be liberty, it does seem to present a compelling condition to the concept.

22
Q

What is Skinner argument for republicanism? (Three points)

A
  • That freedom is the absence of domination or dependence.
  • Being dependent on some arbitrary power for freedom is not freedom at all.
  • It is focused on the assurance of non-interference.
23
Q

What does Skinner compare freedoms in a monarchy to?

A

Like privilages afforded to us by some arbitrary power that can be taken away from us.

24
Q

Why does Skinner believe that it is impossible to be free in a monarchy? (Two points)

A
  • As our privilages are afforded to us by the monarch’s generosity, we will act differently as we normally would in order to not upset the monarch and keep our freedoms.
  • Thus, there is an internal barrier to true freedom.
25
Q

What political system does Skinner advocate for and why?

A

Democracy as it is the only system that allows us to rule ourselves, thus not depending on or bebeing dominated by anyone.

26
Q

When is someone dominant over another?

A

When they have the capacity to interfere arbitrarily.

27
Q

What is the benefit of republicanism?

A

It incorporates both positive and negative aspects into the theory.

28
Q

What are the objections to republicanism? (Two points)

A
  • It does not seem to be a distinct concept of liberty, but rather a more complex negative liberty concept.
  • There seems to be more that is necessary for liberty.
29
Q

What example can we use to show that we need more than non-domination for liberty?

A

The USA and their anti-abortion laws.

30
Q

What are the arguments in regards to liberty, property, and money? (For, Objections)

A
  • Cohen
  • What if we accept a negative concept of liberty?
31
Q

What is your line of argument in regards to liberty, property, and money?

A

Cohen’s view works and shows that a capitalist society does not lead to pure freedom, but this depends on the kind of negative liberty we accept.

32
Q

What is Cohen’s argument against capitalism being equal to liberty? (Three points)

A
  • We need money in order to have the means to do things.
  • A lack of money is a lack of freedom.
  • Due to the inequalities that a capitalism incurs, it means that there is more unfreedom than freedom.
33
Q

What example does Cohen use to show that money causes unfreedom?

A

The camper and the landlord.

34
Q

What are the benefits of Cohen’s argument against capitalism being equal to liberty? (Two points)

A
  • He shows that in order for the capitalist system to work there must be some unfreedom, otherwise property and ownership would not work.
  • He also shows that there is more unfreedoms than freedoms.

Paper 3 - Political Philosophy (3 decks)

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