Liberty

Question 1

What are the arguments in regards to positive vs. negative liberty? (For, Objections, Alternative, Objections)

Answer 1

• Berlin
• We do not value liberty quantitively
• Taylor
• Slippery slope

Question 2

What is your line of argument in regards to positive vs. negative liberty?

Answer 2

• Positive liberty results in undesired consequences.
• Whilst negative liberty has its flaws, it is better than positive liberty.
• Perhaps we should advocate for republicanism.

Question 3

What is Berlin’s argument for negative liberty? (Three points)

Answer 3

• That liberty is the absence of external objects.
• You are considered unfree if another person prevents you from achieveing your goals.
• Accounts for the pluralism of values.

Question 4

What external obstacles does Berlin not include?

Answer 4

Natural obstacles.

Question 5

In what way does Berlin account for the pluralism of values?

Answer 5

Someone is able to decide and pursue the values and goals he wants.

Question 6

What are the benefits of Berlin’s negative liberty? (Two points)

Answer 6

• Seems intuitive.
• Does not restrict people on the basis of some abstract and general ideal.

Question 7

What are the objections to Berlin’s negative liberty? (Two points)

Answer 7

• We do not consider all external obstacles in the same regard.
• Doesn’t capture what we value about liberty.

Question 8

In what we do we not consider all external obstacles in the same regard?

Answer 8

We consider traffic lights as a minor interference on our liberty whilst not being able to practice religion as a massive interference.

Question 9

What is the issue with negative liberty according to Taylor?

Answer 9

It is purely quantitive whereas it should be qualitative.

Question 10

What is Taylor’s argument for positive liberty? (Three points)

Answer 10

• Liberty is about self-mastery.
• When we satisfy our lower desires over our higher desires we are unfree.
• Once we rid ourselves of lower desires then we are free.

Question 11

What does Taylor claim that we tend to confuse?

Answer 11

What we truly want.

Question 12

How do we not confuse what we truly want according to Taylor?

Answer 12

By becoming more rational.

Question 13

How do we become more rational according to Taylor?

Answer 13

Society must encourage us to pursue our higher desires.

Question 14

What happens if we cannot become more rational according to Taylor?

Answer 14

We must seek help from those we deem to be more rational to help us see our higher desires.

Question 15

What are the benefits of Taylor’s positive liberty? (Two points)

Answer 15

• It accounts for the fact that we do not always know what we want.
• How we can be rendered unfree by our own desires such as addictions.

Question 16

What are the objections to Taylor’s positive liberty? (Three points)

Answer 16

• It is a slippery slope.
• How do we know what is the more rational?
• Does not consider a pluralism of values.

Question 17

How is there a slippery slope in regards to positive liberty? (Two points)

Answer 17

• If others are allowed to determine what are the higher values it seems to advocate for an authoritative ideology.
• Those considered more rational could enforce and coerce those less rational to do what they deem to be right.

Question 18

In what way does positive liberty not account for a pluralism of values?

Answer 18

It does not allow people to set there own goals as their goals must be what is deemed to be most rational.

Question 19

How should liberty treat mistakes?

Answer 19

We should be free to make mistakes and act on them.

Question 20

What are the arguments in regards to whether republicanism is a good theory? (For, Objections)

Answer 20

• Skinner
• Indistinct concept of liberty.

Question 21

What is your line of argument in regards to whether republicanism is a good theory?

Answer 21

Whilst republicanism does seem to lack in certain areas of what we would consider to be liberty, it does seem to present a compelling condition to the concept.

Question 22

What is Skinner argument for republicanism? (Three points)

Answer 22

• That freedom is the absence of domination or dependence.
• Being dependent on some arbitrary power for freedom is not freedom at all.
• It is focused on the assurance of non-interference.

Question 23

What does Skinner compare freedoms in a monarchy to?

Answer 23

Like privilages afforded to us by some arbitrary power that can be taken away from us.

Question 24

Why does Skinner believe that it is impossible to be free in a monarchy? (Two points)

Answer 24

• As our privilages are afforded to us by the monarch’s generosity, we will act differently as we normally would in order to not upset the monarch and keep our freedoms.
• Thus, there is an internal barrier to true freedom.

Question 25

What political system does Skinner advocate for and why?

Answer 25

Democracy as it is the only system that allows us to rule ourselves, thus not depending on or bebeing dominated by anyone.

Question 26

When is someone dominant over another?

Answer 26

When they have the capacity to interfere arbitrarily.

Question 27

What is the benefit of republicanism?

Answer 27

It incorporates both positive and negative aspects into the theory.

Question 28

What are the objections to republicanism? (Two points)

Answer 28

- It does not seem to be a distinct concept of liberty, but rather a more complex negative liberty concept. - There seems to be more that is necessary for liberty.

Question 29

What example can we use to show that we need more than non-domination for liberty?

Answer 29

The USA and their anti-abortion laws.

Question 30

What are the arguments in regards to liberty, property, and money? (For, Objections)

Answer 30

- Cohen - What if we accept a negative concept of liberty?

Question 31

What is your line of argument in regards to liberty, property, and money?

Answer 31

Cohen's view works and shows that a capitalist society does not lead to pure freedom, but this depends on the kind of negative liberty we accept.

Question 32

What is Cohen's argument against capitalism being equal to liberty? (Three points)

Answer 32

- We need money in order to have the means to do things. - A lack of money is a lack of freedom. - Due to the inequalities that a capitalism incurs, it means that there is more unfreedom than freedom.

Question 33

What example does Cohen use to show that money causes unfreedom?

Answer 33

The camper and the landlord.

Question 34

What are the benefits of Cohen's argument against capitalism being equal to liberty? (Two points)

Answer 34

- He shows that in order for the capitalist system to work there must be some unfreedom, otherwise property and ownership would not work. - He also shows that there is more unfreedoms than freedoms.