Difference between revisions of "Political Freedom"

Revision as of 12:17, 12 October 2008

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Political freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression. The members of a free society would have full dominion over their public and private lives. The opposite of a free society would be a totalitarian state, which highly restricts political freedom in order to regulate almost every aspect of behavior. In this sense ‘freedom’ refers solely to the relation of men to other men, and the only infringement on it is coercion by men.^[1]

What freedom is not

Freedom is not a legal right, nor is it a privilege. Legal rights are the legal barriers for the state from interfering in a person's life, however, these rights can often be suspended under some circumstances (such as war, terrorist attack, or natural disaster). Privilege is something that is normally practices only by a few persons, at the expense of others.

Freedom is a natural right.

Forms of freedom

Positive freedom

Freedom to (do something yourself)

• • freedom of speech
  • freedom of the press
  • freedom of religion
  • freedom of association
  • freedom of movement
  • freedom of thought

See also Category:Freedoms

Negative freedom

Freedom from (having something done against you)

• • freedom from discrimination
  • freedom from coercion
  • freedom to live without fear
  • freedom from physical violence

Sayings on freedom

• "Eλευθερος γ θανατος" (Freedom or Death!)
  —Cretan War cry.
• "Give me Liberty or give me Death!"
  —Patrick Henry
• "Political Freedom without economic equality is a pretense, a fraud, a lie; and the workers want no lying."
  —Mikhail Bakunin in The Red Association (1870)

Freedom in other languages

1. ↑ Friedrich August von Hayek, ‘Freedom and Coercion’ in David Miller (ed), Liberty (1991) pp. 80, 81.