Republican Liberty: Three Axioms, Four Theorems
REPUBLICANISM AND POLITICAL THEORY, C. Laborde, J. Maynor, eds., Blackwell Publishing, Forthcoming
29 Pages Posted: 10 May 2007
Abstract
The republican notion of freedom as non-domination can be recast more rigorously in the language of control. Human beings routinely exercise certain forms of control over one another, affecting the probabilities attached to the options they respectively confront. But one variety of control is non-alien, leaving those affected with full freedom of choice, while another is alien or alienating, having a negative impact on freedom of choice. Each form of control can occur with interference, and each form can occur without; thus there may be freedom in the presence or absence of interference, and there may be unfreedom in its presence or absence. Alien control without interference materializes when the controller or associates invigilate the choices of the controlled agent, being ready to interfere should the controlled agent not conform to a desired pattern or should the controller have a change of mind. Non-alien control with interference materializes when things are the other way around: the interferee or associates invigilate the choices of the interferer, being ready to stop or redirect the interference should the interferer not conform to a desired pattern or should the interferee have a change of mind.
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