negative and positive liberty and the american constitution消极和积极自由与美国宪法

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1、NegativeandPositiveLibertyandtheAmericanConstitutionBy:CoreyBechtelPhilosophySeniorThesisIntherealmofpoliticalphilosophy,thedefinitionoffewwordshavebeenarguedaboutasmuchasthatofliberty.Theconcepthascometobegivenavarietyofdifferentmeaningsandoftentimesthedefinitionsgi

2、ventoitbydifferentphilosopherscanseemcontradictory.Inanattempttodrawoutthedistinctionsbetweenthetwomostcommonunderstandingsofwhatpreciselylibertyis,IsaiahBerlinwroteTwoConceptsofLiberty.Inthatwork,BerlindistinguishedbetweenNegativeandPositiveformsofliberty.Whilesomep

3、hilosophershavesubsequentlycriticizedhisdistinctions,thesetwoseparateunderstandingsoftheconceptoflibertyhavebecomethestandardbywhichlibertytodayismostoftenjudged.Yet,thesetwoconceptsareequallyusefulforcomingtounderstandpreciselywhatpoliticalphilosophersbeforeBerlin’s

4、timemeantwhentheyreferredtoliberty.ThequestionofwhatlibertyisandofitsimportancehadahugeimpactonthedevelopmentoftheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Theconceptionoflibertyencapsulatedinthisdocument,aswellasthegovernmentitcreated,wasderivedfromvariousconceptionsof

5、feredbyphilosophersofthetime.InordertounderstandlibertyasitisfoundintheU.S.Constitutionitisusefultoexamineitinthecontextofbothnegativeandpositiveliberty.Inordertodothis,IwillelaborateonexactlywhatconstitutesthesetwocompetingconceptionsoflibertybyusingBerlin’sworkasag

6、uideaswellasbydrawingfromtheworksofseveralprominentpoliticalphilosopherswhowroteextensivelyaboutliberty.TohelpdevelopanunderstandingofnegativelibertyIwilllookattheworksofJohnLockeandJohnStuartMill,andforpositivelibertyIwillexaminetheunderstandingsoflibertyofferedbyJe

7、an-JacquesRousseauandEdmundBurke.AfterdoingthisIwillanalyzetheU.S.Constitution,aswellasanumberoftheFederalistPaperswhichwerewritteninsupportofit,inordertodeterminetheinfluenceeachofthesetwoconceptionsoflibertyhaduponthedevelopmentoftheUnitedStates’government.Finally,

8、Iwillassessthevalidityandrelativeimportanceofeachconcept.NegativeLibertyInTwoConceptsofLiberty,Berlinassertedthatnegativelibertysee