I give an comprehensive overview of the most important literature on the reading list about what constitutes a constraint upon one's liberty and whether poverty counts as a contraint
Factors on which discussion about liberty are based
Often the conception of a constraint (Miller)
The relative importance that is ascribed to the concepts of opportunity and exercise
The conception of the individual
Isaiah Berlin’s question of liberty in the political sense
Essay of conceptual analysis
engagement with historical ideas
Relationship between political theory and moral philosophy
- through the discovery and/or application of moral notion in the sphere of political
relations
- RAMMIFICATION: to understand historical conflicts of a political nature, requires us to
understand the underlying (philosophical/moral) ideas or attitudes (p. 168)
(p. 168) the question about obedience and coercion, i.e. the question of political liberty, has
long been the “central question of politics” -> Berlin argues that two distinct central senses
of liberty underly the conflicting political responses to this question:
argues for the negative liberty as the political complement to the human capacity for free
choice
provides an account of the perversion of positive liberty into a warrant for such claims
Negative Liberty
Answers the question ‘What is the area within which the subject (…) is or should be left to do
or be what he is able to do or be without any interference by other persons?’ (Berlin, p. 169)
“I am normally said to be free to the degree to which no man or body of men interferes with
my activity.” -> Political liberty in this sense: “the area within which a man can act
unobstructed by others.” (Berlin, p. 169)
Negative Liberty = state in which the individual’s actions are not obstructed by (results from)
external agency -> may be defined as
- non-interference (Berlin)
- an opportunity-concept (Taylor)
Perhaps traditionally most common conception of freedom
HUMAN SOURCE RESTRICTION: Negative liberty in the political sense can only be interfered
by OTHER HUMAN BEINGS -> Berlin: “Coercion implies the deliberate interference of other
human beings within the area in which I could otherwise act. You lack political liberty or
freedom only if you are prevented from attaining a goal by human beings. Mere incapacity
[i.e. because of scientific or physiological factors, e.g. the incapacity to fly] to attain a goal is
not lack of political freedom” (Berlin, p. 169)
PROMBLEM 1: Full negative freedom seems both (a) practically impossible and (b) self-defeating ->
necessity of a frontier
freedom could not be unlimited, i.e. “natural freedom” (Berlin, p. 171):
, a state of absolute non-interference would result in anarchy in which the physiologically and
socially superior exploit the weak.
Even staunch proponents of negative liberty agree that such a society is undesirable, for two
main reasons:
1. The absolute negative liberty of the one may (and most likely will) curtail the negative
liberty of the other.
“Men are largely interdependent, and no man’s activity is so completely private as
never to obstruct the lives of others in any way.” -> “the liberty of some must
depend on the restraint of others”, e.g. If I am free to kill you, you are unfree to live.
If the strong are free to exploit the weak, the weak are no longer free to determine
how to live their lives.
2. Other values may clash with liberty so that one has to be prioritized
There is no harmony in human purposes and because others may clash with freedom
most would agree that freedom may be curtailed in the interest of these other values
Problem of “Political claptrap” (Berlin pp. 171-2): Shouldn’t we care first about the
basic necessities of all before we care about freedom?
- Question of raised in political debate
- Especially relevant because much of the wealth which is the basis for the
freedoms enjoyed by the West comes/came from exploitation elsewhere
- NEVERTHELESS: “Nothing is gained by a confusion of terms.” If I sacrifice my
freedom for e.g. equality or the basic means of others, I am sacrificing freedom,
i.e. without gaining some other kind of freedom. I merely gain equality.
“Everything is what it is: liberty is liberty, not equality or fairness or justice or
culture” etc.
NOTWITHSTANDING: we all agree that sometimes freedom must be sacrificed
for such other values.
HENCE “a frontier must be drawn between the area of private life and that of public
authority” (Berlin, p. 171)
RESULT: political debate as to where the frontier between inference and absence of
interference must this frontier be located? -> answer based on two questions (in accordance
with the 2 main reasons for why absolute negative liberty is undesirable)
1. To what extent must individual liberty make way for other values?
On this question, opinions are typically most divided.
Even in societies where freedom of expression is traditionally held sacred, today we
perceive a growing movement of those who think that it must yield even to the petty
feelings of those who are easily offended.
2. May the individual’s liberty be constrained to ensure the liberty of the other?
Most would answer yes
PROBLEM 1: there might be disagreement as to what action constitutes inference
upon the individual’s liberty -> question of indirect interference (see next)
PROBLEM 2: there may be disagreement as to what constraints upon the individuals’
liberty are needed to ensure the liberty of all
- Optimistic philosophers (e.g. Locke, Smith, Mill): social harmony and progress
were compatible with reserving a large area for private life (Berlin, p. 173)
- Pessimistic philosopher (Hobbes): greater safeguards must be instituted to
prevent man from destroying one another and social harmony (Berlin, p. 173)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller fredspierings. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £9.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
