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Political Philosophy Philosophy 2B - Ray Critch Lecture 4 - Liberty

Political Philosophy Philosophy 2B - Ray Critch Lecture 4 - Liberty. In this lecture What are the different approaches to freedom? What are their various merits, drawbacks?. The spectrum of freedoms. Note: Liberty and Freedom Interchangeable - pace Isaiah Berlin

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Political Philosophy Philosophy 2B - Ray Critch Lecture 4 - Liberty

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  1. Political PhilosophyPhilosophy 2B - Ray CritchLecture 4 - Liberty In this lecture What are the different approaches to freedom? What are their various merits, drawbacks?

  2. The spectrum of freedoms • Note: Liberty and Freedom • Interchangeable - pace Isaiah Berlin • Negative and Positive Freedom • ‘freedom from’ v. ‘freedom to’ • Not really Berlin’s formulation • Negative: ‘What is the area in which the subject - a person or group of persons - is or should be left to do or be what he is able to do or be, without interference from other persons.’ • Positive: ‘What, or who, is the source of control or interference that can determine someone to do, or be, this rather than that.’

  3. The spectrum of freedoms • Negative and Positive Freedom • Broad categories: • Negative - includes prohibitions against interference, non-arbitrary interference, non-voluntary interference. • Positive - less explored - includes requirements for thresholds, equality • What place for autonomy?

  4. Negative Freedoms • Negative Liberty in General • Freedom From… • … Restraints: ranging from absolute non-interference to no principled interference. • … Obstacles: not really. • Active v. Passive Obstacles • Active: tantamount to restraint • Passive: removal is more like positive freedom • Absolute, Arbitrary, Voluntary

  5. Negative Freedoms • Absolute Non-interference • Broadest kind of negative freedom • No hindrance, no help • Freedom for Hermits • Not seriously suggested by even the most strident libertarian.

  6. Negative Freedoms • Freedom from Arbitrary Interference • Republican Liberty • Philip Pettit, Quentin Skinner, etc… • Master/Slave, Empire/Colony • What characterizes non-arbitrary interference? • Principled • Predictability • Non-discretionary

  7. Negative Freedoms • Freedom from Arbitrary Interference • What Counts as Arbitrary? • On what basis is a principle consistent with the interests protected by prohibitions on arbitrary interference • Proceduralist Account(s) • Theoretical • Constitutional • Substantive Account(s) • Interest-based substantive account • Preference based

  8. Negative Freedoms • Freedom from Non-Voluntary Interference • Contractualism, or Contractualism run amok? • Locke, Rousseau, Dworkin, Rawls, Scanlon • What kind of consent? • Actual Consent v. Tacit Consent v. Not Reasonably Rejectionable. • Non-voluntary v. Involuntary? • Relationship with Freedom from Arbitrary Interference?

  9. Positive Freedoms • Positive Freedom in General • Freedom to… • Removal of Passive obstacles enhances positive freedom. • Threshold (Capacity, Capability) Approach • Sen, Nussbaum • One should be free enough to achieve a given list of goods to a socially sufficient level.

  10. Positive Freedoms • Egalitarian Approach • Dworkin? • Freedom begins with equality • Problem: Leveling Down? • Problem of Positive Freedom • Berlin’s Analysis. • Implementing Positive Freedom requires limiting negative freedom more? • Pareto-optimal efficiency.

  11. Autonomy? • Is autonomy positive, negative or both? • What do we mean by autonomy? • Kant: Life led in accordance with universal law via reason? • What if we don’t think there’s such a thing as a kind of reason that gives such a universal law? • Contemporary: Life led from within by pursuit of meaningful choices? • Seems to involve both positive and negative • Depends on the choices?

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