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Isaiah Berlin's Two Concepts Of Liberty

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Sir Isaiah Berlin, born in Riga, was a British political philosopher and a professor at All Souls College, Oxford. During his childhood we lived in Petrograd, during the Russian revolution, where he and his family were increasingly oppressed under Bolshevik rule. Because of all difficulties faced during this time, he and his family moved in early 1921 to Brittan. It was in Brittan, specifically in Oxford, that he presented his Essay “The Two Concepts of Liberty”. The essay ‘Two concepts of Liberty’ is a brilliant quest to what defines the individual freedom “Why should anyone obey anyone else?” The ideas behind this question are obedience and coercion. Which, therefore, in absence or presence, will define and distinguish, the two systems of ideas …show more content…

Nevertheless this sacrifice shall not be considered, at any form, a compensation in what is being sacrificed (liberty). Therefore, when I restrain my individual freedom an absolute loss of liberty occurs. In conclusion, equality of liberty, justice and happiness are foundations (values) of liberal morality. Not liberty, “liberty is liberty”. The great conflict, however, stands out from this conclusion. If “liberty of some must depend on the restrain of others” defenders of positive liberty, such as socialists, claim that the poorest are less free when compared with the rich (they have less ability/ capacity). Therefore defenders of the negative liberty do not mean that having freedom means ability to do as one desires, but it means intend to do whatever you might desire (Intention). The negative liberty is intrinsically related to an individualistic society, a society in which individual’s necessities and wills are the maxims. The common needs are completely disregarded. One extreme system is the anarchy, where no one can be coerced and were everyone does what is their

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