Liberty-Meaning,Nature

and Types
Dr.Gagandeep Dhaliwal
Asst Prof(pol sci)
AIL,Mohali
 Liberty
• History, in this sense, is a record of the unending struggle for liberty.
• Liberty arises out of the perception that social organisations do not allow most
men to develop what is finest in them, an atmosphere where the individual can be
his best self.
• However, the exact meaning and content of liberty as a concept has been subject of
endless controversy among political thinkers.
• Hence Montesquieu rightly remarked, "There is no word that admits of more
various significations, and has made more different impressions on the human
mind, than that of liberty."
 Meaning of Liberty
• The word Liberty' is derived from the Latin word 'Liber' which means 'free' or
'freedom.’
• In its derivative sense liberty means absence of all restraints and freedom to do
whatever one likes.
• But absolute liberty (without restraints) is not possible in a civilized society since
complete absence of restraints will lead not to liberty but to licence.
• Man is a social animal and he is compelled by his needs and impelled by his nature
to live in society. He must, therefore, adjust his liberty with due regard to the liberty
of others. Thus, regulation of human conduct and behaviour is indispensable in
social life
 Definitions of Liberty
• According to Seeley, "Liberty is the opposite of over-government."
• Mckechnie, "Freedom is not the absence of all restraints, but rather the
substitution of rational ones for the irrational."
• The leaders of the French Revolution in the famous Declaration of
Rights of Man (1789) define liberty as "the power to do anything that does
not injure another.“
• According to T.H. Green, "Freedom consists in positive power or
capacity of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying."
 Liberty
• Hence the term liberty has both negative and positive meanings.
• The negative concept of liberty implies the absence of restraints while the
positive concept emphasizes the existence of rational restraints.
 Features of Liberty
• Liberty is not the ‘Absence of Restraints’ but the replacement of rational
ones for the irrational
• Liberty is not Unlimited.
• Rights are the essential Conditions of Liberty
• Liberty is possible only in State
• Law is not the Opposite, rather Protector of Liberty.
 Features of Liberty
• Special Privileges are against the Concept of Liberty
• Liberty is associated with Availability of Opportunities
 Aspects of Liberty

• Liberty has two aspects—

• Negative
• Positive.
 Negative Liberty
• The concept of negative liberty is related to the concept of Individualism or Liberalism
which flourished vibrantly during the 17th and the 18th centuries
• Hobbes. Locke, Adam Smith, Ricardo, etc are the main proponents of this theory.
• Till the 16th century Religious, Economic and Political absolutism was prevalent. In
the religious sphere, the Pope or the Church were absolute. In the economic sphere, the
feudal lords enjoyed the supreme status. In political sphere, there were the monarchs or
emperors, who were believed to be sovereign and thus acted absolutely.
 Negative Liberty
• In such a state of absolutism, man was believed to be of no significance at all.
• Individualism was a vigorous reaction against the prevalent absolutism. It
laid emphasis upon the ‘complete liberty of man’.
• This period saw the evolution of a new capitalist class for whose progress
the non-interference of the state in the economic field was essential .
• Hence Individualist Liberalism was an ideology of this newly emerging
capitalist class.
 Supporters or Exponents of Negative Liberty.

Hobbes, Locke, Benjamin Constant, ThomasPaine, Adam Smith, J.S.

Mill, Isaih Berlin, MiltonFriedman, etc. are also the supporters of the
concept of negative liberty.
 Meaning and Definition of Negative
Liberty
• . Negative liberty implies the "absence of restraints". In other words, negative liberty means
that the state or society should not impose any restrictions or prohibitions upon the people
and the people must be free to do anything as per their own sweet will.
• In defining negative liberty D.D. Raphael has said, "Freedom means absence of restraints.
A man is free so far as he is not restrained from doing what he wants to do or what he
would choose to do if he knew that he could."
• In the words of Isaih Berlin, "By being free in this sense (Negative) I mean not being
interfered with by others. The wider the area of non-interference, the wider my freedom."
 Grounds or bases for Negative Liberty
• Restraint is an Evil
• Every Individual is a guardian of one’s own interests.
• Individual and social progress depend upon Individual’s free choice
• Absence of coercion is the basis of liberty
• Liberty in personal affairs is essential
• More economic development
• Minimum state activity
 Negative Liberty –A Criticism
• Absence of restraints is not liberty but a ‘licence to do anything’
• Every man is not capable to judge one’s own interests.
• Rational restraints is not an evil
• Policy of ‘laissez Faire’ led to disastrous results.
• Negative liberty is a capitalistic theory
• Almost every act of the individual affects others
 Positive Liberty
The disastrous results of capitalism propelled by the philosophy of Individualism-Liberalism led to a
review of the concept of Liberty. It was realized that Liberty consists in the replacement of unreasonable
restraints with reasonable ones. Positive liberty implies presence of certain opportunities which are
essential for the integrated development of human beings. Freedom of man, in the positive sense, involves
"the realization of his individual self, that is, the expression of his intellectual, emotional and sensuous
potentialities." this requires a proper environment for their conversion into actualities. The positive aspect
of liberty has been put nicely by Laski in these words, "Liberty is the eager maintenance of that
atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be at their best selves." Positive liberty is made possible
by the laws of the state which guarantee and protect rights of the people.
 Positive Liberty-Definition
• Mckechnie, "Freedom is not the absence of all restraints, but rather the
substitution of rational ones for the irrational.”
• According to T.H. Green, "Freedom consists in positive power or
capacity of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying."
 Positive Liberty-meaning and features
• Positive Liberty lies in the presence of rational restraints
• Rights are an essential condition for liberty
• It lies in removal of constraints
• It signifies absence of special priveleges
• It is assured via the availability of equal opportunities
 Positive Liberty-meaning and features
• It is liberty of man in a society.
• State is not opposed to liberty, it rather ensures the proper enjoyment of
liberty by all.
 Types of Liberty
• Natural Liberty
• Social/civil Liberty
• Economic Liberty
• Political Liberty
• Religious Liberty
• Moral Liberty
• National Liberty
 Safeguards of Liberty
• Democratic set up
• Enlightened citizens
• Independent and impartial Judiciary
• Free and honest Press
• Separation of powers
• Economic justice