The concept of “freedom” as the freedom of individuals, so long as it does not harm anyone else, was taken almost as a given until the mid-20th century. But in his 1958 book, “Two Concepts of Liberty”, Isaiah Berlin explains that what we usually call “liberty” is negative freedom, freedom of those from outside interference. Positive freedom, however, comes from within, as an individual has the resources to pursue their own goals. Both negative and positive freedoms are important, but positive freedom carries risks. A person with personal positive freedom may become tyrannical, as occurred during the French Revolution when the tyrant Robespierre sought to limit negative freedom by eliminating dissent. The result is freedom for the few—as Berlin put it: “In a lake stocked with fish eating minnows, and minnow eating pike, liberty for the pike means minnows death.”
Introduction
How do we really define Philosophy? The Greek word φιλοσοφία – Philosophia. Or as the term has been coined by modern Western language – Philosophy. The literal meaning of this word is relatively static. Derived from its Greek origin it comprises two separate words...
