Week 5: LIBERTY

 Liberty

 

What is Liberty?

Liberty is the freedom to live your life in the way that you want, without interference from other people or the authorities.

Isaiah Berlin two concepts of liberty

Negative liberty 

Negative liberty is freedom from something outside interference. Absence of coercion or repression from others to your choice. 

Example : free to choose religion, university enrollment and build a legal business .

Positive liberty

Positive liberty is freedom to something act upon one's  will and presence of means to exercise freedom to act upon their free will. So, we can do  something we want or go somewhere we want.

Example : I want something to eat but I don't have enough money to  buy food and I starve, this would against positive liberty. No one is forcing to buy to  starvation but if don't have money, so it's not free to eat.

Liberty as fundamental  aspect of liberal politics. It concerns the extent to which government has control you ever.

When we talk about political liberty, we usually talk about 'negative liberty'. But, after negative liberty achieved, are we truly free?

- Some people can't go to school

- Some people can't go to work

- Some people cannot get healthcare

  Are they free?

Those people not get what they should get doesn't mean they are not free. But, they have limitation or don't have any chance (don't have money, time, enough knowledge etc).

The mask hole problem

What do you think of mandatory mask - wearing policies?

The mandatory of using mask is not give limitation of freedom. We use mask in this pandemic time is due to our health, it is our necessary thing. This mandatory keep us to stay healthy when we are going to outside. Also, this mandatory is not followed by people, virus more possible to affect us it's for public interest and cooperation each other.

I am offended

Obama speech (picture source : google.com)

If speech is offensive, should it be censored? 

In Indonesia, offensive speech is better to censored in cases of SARA. Some countries have different kind of offensive speech or the words are not allowed, for example Winnie the Pooh (China), N word (America) and SARA (Indonesia).

John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill (source : google.com)

"That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of civilized community, against his will is to prevent harm to others (On Liberty)

What is Harm?

- Does harm mean only physical harm? or, does it also cover social and psychological harm?

- You may be offended by something, but it does not cause damage, should it considered harm?

- Should "offensiveness" be considered as harm?

Example of psychological harm is bullying. Is bullying same with offend? Offend by the truth, don't mean other people will stop do it. In case of uncomfortable to talk but we have to talk is Papua harm.

What is the different between hate speech and critic?

Hate speech is consist by SARA, sexuality, banned words.

Critic : Able to change or improve the flaws to better "someone is too fast when talking then criticized to be more slowly" 

Marx's critique of Liberty

The focus on individual liberty blinds us to achieving collectiveness. Individual liberty is egoistic and reinforce competition among societies.

If you are indeed free to do anything, yet are still chained by condition beyond your control, are you still free?

Conclusion

There are two types of liberty :

Positive and negative. Mil's view favours negative liberty; while Marx favours positive liberty.

These two liberties may conflict with one and other.