Question

In 200 words, please distinguish between negative and positive liberty and give a real life example of each.

Answer 1

Answer) Positive and Negative liberty:-

Negative liberty is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. One has negative liberty to the extent that actions are available to one in this negative sense. Positive liberty is the possibility of acting — or the validity of acting — in such a way as to take custody of one's life and realize one's vital objectives.

Let’s look at an example. Johnny’s living in New York. He’d like to go to California to visit home. Under a negative conception of liberty, Johnny is free to go to California if nobody is actively deterring him from doing so. Thus his negative freedom would be infringed if his neighbour locked Johnny in the basement, or if someone seized his car.

But what if Johnny's so poor that he can’t have the money for a car or a plane ticket? What if Johnny is sick and so not physically up to the trip? In these instances, no person prevents Johnny from going to California, so Johnny's negative liberty stays intact. Yet he lacks the capacity to fulfil his desire and so, from a positive liberty standpoint, he is unfree.