Aug 24, 2021
On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast, Sam and Dave
discuss the subtle differences between
“freedom”
vs
“liberty.”
The terms
"freedom"
and
"liberty"
have become clichés in modern political parlance. Because these
words are invoked so much by politicians and their ilk, their
meanings are almost synonymous and used interchangeably. That's
confusing – and can be dangerous – because their definitions are
actually quite different.
"Freedom" is predominantly an internal construct. Viktor Frankl,
the legendary Holocaust survivor who wrote
Man's Search For Meaning,
said it well:
“Everything
can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human
freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of
circumstances, to choose one’s own way
(in
how he approaches his circumstances).”
In other words, to be free is to take ownership of what goes on
between your ears, to be autonomous in thoughts
first
and actions
second.
Your freedom to act a certain way can be taken away from you – but
your attitude about your circumstances cannot – making one's
freedom predominantly an internal construct.
On the other hand,
"liberty"
is predominantly an external construct. It's the state of being
free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by
authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The
ancient Stoics knew this
(more
on that in a minute). So did the Founding Fathers, who wisely noted
the distinction between negative and positive liberties, and
codified that difference in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of
Rights.
The distinction between negative and positive liberties is
particularly important, because an understanding of each helps us
understand these seminal American documents
(plus
it explains why so many other countries have copied them). The Bill
of Rights is a charter of negative liberties – it says what the
state
cannot
do to you. However, it does
not
say what the state must do on your behalf. This would be a positive
liberty, an obligation imposed upon you by the state.
Thus in keeping with what the late Murray Rothbard said above, the
liberty of the individual is the necessary condition for the
flowering of all the other
"goods"
that mankind cherishes.
Living in liberty allows each of us to fully enjoy our
freedoms.
And how these two terms developed and complement one another is
important for anyone desiring to better understand what it means to
be truly free.
Helpful Links:
