Unit II

Freedom is a condition in
which people can speak, act
and pursue happiness without
unnecessary external restrictions.
Freedom is traditionally understood as independence of the
arbitrary will of another. Such a state is contrasted with slavery.
A slave is constantly subject to the will of another. By contrast a
free person can do whatever he chooses as long as he does not
break the law and infringe on the freedom of others. This has
been described as external freedom or "negative liberty." To
the layman, this is understood as: "your freedom ends where
my nose begins."
Complete freedom includes the inner freedom
of the will and the external freedom of the
environment such that a person's plans and
deliberations are not arbitrarily thwarted by
either himself or some other agency.
Philosophers have traditionally made a distinction between
freedom and license. Freedom is always constrained by laws or
rules that apply equally to all members of a society. These laws
have a negative quality in that they prohibit certain acts which
are damaging to the community or which interfere with another
person's freedom. These are traditional laws such as the
prohibition of rape, murder and theft etc. If a person violates
these laws, he ought to be punished.
John Locke said that such laws preserve and enlarge freedom.
This is why the rule of law is so important to freedom. In contrast
license is associated with power and the idea that a person can
do anything without censure, an idea first associated
with Voltaire. In the modern world many people mistake license
for freedom and become angry when they are censured for
being selfish, rude, irresponsible and immoral.
John Locke said that such laws preserve and enlarge freedom.
This is why the rule of law is so important to freedom. In contrast
license is associated with power and the idea that a person can
do anything without censure, an idea first associated
with Voltaire. In the modern world many people mistake license
for freedom and become angry when they are censured for
being selfish, rude, irresponsible and immoral.
Freedom has traditionally been linked with the idea of
responsibility. George Bernard Shaw expressed this succinctly,
"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." A
free person has the opportunity and burden of making choices
and decisions. This also means that he must bear the
consequences of his actions. This theme was explored
by Dostoyevsky in the "Legend of the Grand Inquisitor" in The
Brothers Karamasov
Freedom is also said to distinguish human
beings from animals who as a result are not
treated as moral agents. It is also linked to
creativity. Whereas animals make things such as
nests their creations lack the free creativity that
enables human beings to make original and
unique works.
No idea is so generally recognized as indefinite,
ambiguous, and open to the greatest
misconception (to which therefore it actually
falls a victim) as the idea of freedom: none in
common currency with so little appreciation of
its meaning.
G.W.F. Hegel
The ama-gi, a Sumerian cuneiform word, is the earliest known
written symbol representing the idea of freedom. The English
word "freedom" is an Anglo-Saxon word combining the words
"free" and "doom." The word "free" has etymological origins in
not having a halter, friend, peace, love, dear and noble. The
word "doom" means law and personal judgement or opinion.
So a free person does not have a halter round his neck and so is
no one's slave or servant and so is a noble person. Such a person
follows his own well considered personal judgment which is
within the law. Freedom is a sociological concept and without
society the word has no meaning. Liberty is often used as an
alternative to freedom. It is a Latin word incorporated into
English via French.
The British philosopher Isaiah Berlin made a distinction between
positive liberty and negative liberty in his essay "Two Concepts
of Liberty." He defined negative liberty as the absence of
constraints on, or interference with, an agent's possible action.
Greater "negative freedom" meant fewer restrictions on possible
action. Berlin associated positive liberty with the idea of self-
mastery, or the capacity to determine oneself, to be in control of
one's destiny. Positive liberty should be exercised within the
constraints of negative liberty.
1. To be free is simply to have
the liberty to make a choice
from among possible
alternatives
2. The right and the capacity of
citizens to decide their own courses
of actions in the society which
could maximize their capabilities
and potentials.
3. A right which all human being
possesses.
Freedom is important because it leads
to:
1. enhanced expressions of creativity
and original thought,
2. increased productivity
3. an overall high quality of life.
The concept of political freedom is closely allied with the
concepts of civil liberties and individual rights. Most
liberal democratic societies are professedly characterized by
various freedoms which are afforded the legal protection of
the state. Some of these freedoms may include (in alphabetical
order):
The concept of political freedom is closely allied with the
concepts of civil liberties and individual rights. Most
liberal democratic societies are professedly characterized by
various freedoms which are afforded the legal protection of
the state. Some of these freedoms may include (in alphabetical
order):
1. Freedom of assembly
2. Freedom of association
3. Freedom to bear arms
4. Freedom of education
5. Freedom of movement
6. Freedom of the press
1. Freedom of religion
2. Freedom of speech
3. Freedom of thought
4. Intellectual freedom
5. Freedom to trade
Thank you!
You can use this PowerPoint template for free based on creative commons license.

Follow us on Twitter @slideh or subscribe to our mailing list

Or upload your presentation for free and share online in SlideOnline.com

www.SlideHunter.com

Download Free Templates Upload to Slide Online.com