Liberty (Uncorrected Proofs)

The Encyclopedia of Political Thought, First Edition. Edited by Michael T. Gibbons, 2015 Forthcoming

12 Pages Posted: 2 Oct 2014

See all articles by John Filling

John Filling

University College London - School of Public Policy

Date Written: September 28, 2014

Abstract

Liberty is a potent ideal. Rousseau called it the “most precious of all [God’s] gifts.” But it is also an elusive ideal. What is liberty? Who has liberty? Do some have more liberty than others? It is useful to start from Gerard C. MacCallum, Jr.'s claim that all theories of liberty conform to a 'triadic relation': 'x is (is not) free from y to do (not do, become, not become) z'. This entry examines five conceptions of liberty through the lens of MacCallum's formula: negative, positive, republican, Marxist, and feminist.

Suggested Citation

Filling, John, Liberty (Uncorrected Proofs) (September 28, 2014). The Encyclopedia of Political Thought, First Edition. Edited by Michael T. Gibbons, 2015 Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2502538

John Filling (Contact Author)

University College London - School of Public Policy ( email )

29/30 Tavistock Square
London, WC1H 9QU
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
249
Abstract Views
1,151
Rank
223,410
PlumX Metrics