Positive freedom presupposes a divide between our rational nature and our desires and appetites, and suggests that we must not let our “lower” passional nature dictate our life’s direction contrary to reason.
Positive freedom is a bit trickier, but essentially means the freedom of self-mastery, self-determination, and control over the direction of one’s life.
This is sometimes, derisively, referred to as license or licentiousness-pursuing our immediate desires and appetites, perhaps contrary to reason. Negative freedom, simply put, is freedom from any external constraint, the freedom of an individual to do what they will without obstacles, limitations, or a narrowing of their choices regarding that freedom. What does it mean for an individual to be free? In “Two Conceptions of Liberty,” the philosopher Isaiah Berlin offers two different ways of conceiving liberty: negative freedom and positive freedom. All of these variations on equality also suggest a distinction between equality and equity: where equality indicates qualities such as status, rights, and opportunities are the same for everyone, equity indicates fairness and impartiality.Īs with equality, the concept of freedom has some important variations. Equality of outcomes suggests that there is a shared benefit when individual wealth and material possessions are roughly equal to one another. But the government cannot legally discriminate against similarly situated persons and must afford everyone equal protection under the laws. In fact, government can and does legally discriminate all the time-age, for example, can be the basis of discrimination (those under 16 cannot legally drive a car those under a certain age are not eligible for Social Security, etc). Importantly, the Constitution does not guarantee that everyone be treated equally. Constitution, which guarantees that all persons are afforded equal protection under the laws. This concept can be applied to the law, and is codified in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Equal opportunity suggests that, despite differences in human achievement, a just world should provide a roughly equal starting point for all individuals regardless of who they are or where they come from. Comprehensive equality is a deeper philosophical concept that all human beings are, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, “created equal.” In other words, comprehensive equality suggests that humans are all equal in worth and dignity, that we have an innate and existential equality of being endowed with human life. First, let’s consider three variations on the concept of equality: comprehensive equality, equal opportunity, and equality of outcomes. Let’s consider three variations on the concept of equality: comprehensive equality, equal opportunity, and equality of outcomes.īriefly, we must bring some clarity to these concepts of equality and freedom, for there is no single definition that can encompass either. To what degree are humans born with reason, born equal, and born free? Is private property necessary for individual freedom? When should the rights of the community override the right of an individual? These are examples of questions that are intended to guide you to first-order principles of your political beliefs, thus shaping your ideological commitments.
Ideologies are not fact-based or objective statements but normative beliefs informed by basic assumptions about reality. What should be the most important political values that individuals, society, and the state adhere to? Ideologies are the beliefs and values that answer this question. Underpinning this question is a basic normative commitment to Political Theory, which seeks an understanding of what politics ought to be, as opposed to what it is. Pause here for a moment and consider this age-old question: What does justice mean to you? When are our actions just? This question is answered in numerous ways as Western philosophic tradition develops historically, from the ancient Greeks to 20th century liberal philosophers. This is one of the oldest questions in Western political philosophy and the central inquiry of Plato’s Republic. At the end of this chapter, you will take an ideologies quiz that will give you some determination of your own ideological beliefs.
We will also attempt to define a conception of justice that aligns with each of these ideologies. In order to do so, we will consider classical and modern variants of liberalism, conservatism, and socialism by analyzing the ways in which these ideologies value equality and freedom. This chapter will give you a better understanding of ideology in political thought.