Freedom vs. Liberty: How Subtle Differences Between These Two Big Ideas Changed Our World
On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast, Sam and Dave discuss the subtle differences between “freedom” vs “liberty.” The terms "freedom" and "liberty" have become clichés in modern political parlance. Because these words are invoked so much by politicians and their ilk, their meanings are almost synonymous and used interchangeably. That's confusing – and can be dangerous – because their definitions are actually quite different.
You can read the full article at Ammo.com: https://ammo.com/articles/freedom-liberty-difference-understanding-negative-vs-positive-rights
For $20 off your $200 purchase, go to https://ammo.com/podcast (a special deal for our listeners).
Follow Sam Jacobs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamJacobs1776
And check out our sponsor, Libertas Bella, for all of your favorite Libertarian shirts at https://libertasbella.com/.
"Freedom" is predominantly an internal construct. Viktor Frankl, the legendary Holocaust survivor who wrote Man's Search For Meaning, said it well: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way (in how he approaches his circumstances).”
In other words, to be free is to take ownership of what goes on between your ears, to be autonomous in thoughts first and actions second. Your freedom to act a certain way can be taken away from you – but your attitude about your circumstances cannot – making one's freedom predominantly an internal construct.
On the other hand, "liberty" is predominantly an external construct. It's the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The ancient Stoics knew this (more on that in a minute). So did the Founding Fathers, who wisely noted the distinction between negative and positive liberties, and codified that difference in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The distinction between negative and positive liberties is particularly important, because an understanding of each helps us understand these seminal American documents (plus it explains why so many other countries have copied them). The Bill of Rights is a charter of negative liberties – it says what the state cannot do to you. However, it does not say what the state must do on your behalf. This would be a positive liberty, an obligation imposed upon you by the state.
Thus in keeping with what the late Murray Rothbard said above, the liberty of the individual is the necessary condition for the flowering of all the other "goods" that mankind cherishes. Living in liberty allows each of us to fully enjoy our freedoms. And how these two terms developed and complement one another is important for anyone desiring to better understand what it means to be truly free.
Helpful Links:
Resistance Library: https://ammo.com/articles
Sam Jacobs: https://ammo.com/our-team#sam-jacobs
-
33:05
Poweraccountabilityleague
8 months agoFREEDOM VS SLAVERY
5 -
7:12
Retrospectator
10 months agoFreedom vs. Fear
1951 -
25:20
The Ever Lasting Lights
1 year agoSlavery VS Liberty
11 -
0:22
Mark Levin Show
11 months agoLiberty vs Tyranny
7.5K12 -
0:40
Northern Liberty Channel
1 year agoFreedom Vs Anarchy
15 -
12:37
Mark Levin Show
1 year agoLiberty vs Tyranny
9.95K162 -
8:11
Styxhexenhammer666
9 months agoFreedom vs Freedumb
28.4K76 -
1:45
Roobs
1 year agoPrivilege vs Freedom.
38 -
0:56
ShehzarSays
10 months agoindependence vs freedom vs Empowerment
-
24:22
The Ben Armstrong Show
11 months agoFake Freedom vs Real Freedom
4811