Professor Peter Jaworski: 'What Does Liberty Really Mean?'

Source:Learn Liberty- and Lady Liberty.

"Liberty 101: What Does Liberty Really Mean?" by the Institute for Humane Studies. Prof. Peter Jaworski says that libertarians focus on political liberty over other types of liberty. What does he mean by “political liberty”? Why is this the priority?" 

From CNX 

From Wikipedia- "Liberty in philosophy, involves free will as contrasted with determinism. In politics liberty consists of the political social and political freedoms enjoyed by all citizens."

The first time I've actually seen that on Wikipedia, but that is pretty close to the liberal definition of liberty. The ability for one to have self-determination over them self. To chart their own course in life and make their own decisions about themselves. It means the freedom for people to be themselves short of hurting innocent people with their freedom. And then being held personally responsible for their own decisions for good and bad. 

The liberal definition of liberty covers both economic and social policy. Someone can run their own company essentially anyway they want to, short of hurting their own employees and customers. Again, we're talking about liberty from a liberal, not libertarian vantage point. When it comes to social policy, liberty is the ability for one to make their own decisions over their own personal affairs, short of hurting innocent people intentionally, or otherwise.

Again, we're talking about liberty in a liberal society, a free society, where people have the right to self-govern. But we don't have the right to hurt people unless in self-defense. But liberty is too expensive if it doesn't involve both personal responsibility and rule of law. And without rule of law, liberty becomes anarchism. 

The extreme version of liberalism is not socialism, or Marxism. People who believe socialism and Marxism, are the extreme versions of liberalism, don't understand liberalism. The extreme version liberalism is anarcho-libertarianism and anarchism. Where people can essentially do whatever they want, because there aren't any consequences that come with their decisions. Short of someone getting back at you for robbing them, or assaulting them, or whatever the case. So a Liberal believes in both liberty and rule of law. They go together like meet and potatoes, cheese and bread, whatever combination you want to come up with.

Name the social issue including gambling and prostitution which are also social issues, I'm probably pro-choice on it as a Liberal. Just as long as it comes to rule of law including a regulatory state. Not to run the enterprise or activity, but to protect consumers and employees from predators. And it doesn't involve legalizing predatory behavior. Like murder, rape, assault, theft, etc. 

Liberty, is the ability one to live their own life short of hurting an innocent person with how they live. Not the liberty to hurt innocent people intentionally, or otherwise. 

Conservatives and Libertarians, at least in the classical sense, have a similar definition of liberty as I do. Social Democrats, Socialists, Communists, not such big fans of freedom of choice, even with responsibility. And have more of a collective government-centric idea of liberty. But one of the great things about living in a federalist liberal democracy, is we get to make these decisions for ourselves.

You can also see this post at FreeState Now, on Blogger.