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Political freedom is the right, or the capacity and ability, of self-determination as an expression of the individual will. Self-ownership or sovereignty of the individual or individual sovereignty is the condition where an individual has the exclusive moral right to control his or her own body and life. ... In jurisprudence and law, a right is the legal or moral entitlement to do or refrain from doing something or to obtain or refrain from obtaining an action, thing or recognition in civil society. ...

Types

The concept of political freedom is closely allied with the concepts of civil liberties and individual rights. Most democratic societies are professedly characterized by various freedoms which are afforded the legal protection of the state. Some of these freedoms may include (in alphabetical order): Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ...

• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom of association
• Freedom to bear arms
• Freedom of education
• Freedom of movement
• Freedom of the press
• Freedom of religion
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of thought
• Intellectual freedom
• Sexual freedom

Group of women holding placards with political activist slogans: know your courts - study your politicians, Liberty in law, Law makers must not be law breakers, and character in candidates photo 1920 Freedom of assembly is the freedom to associate with, or organize any groups, gatherings, clubs, or organizations that one... Freedom of association is a Constitutional (legal) concept based on the premise that it is the right of free adults to mutually choose their associates for whatever purpose they see fit. ... The right to bear arms refers to the right that individuals have to weapons. ... Freedom of education incorporates the right of any person to manage their own education, start a school, or to have access to education of their choice without any constraints. ... Title page of a European Union member state passport. ... Freedom of the Press (or Press Freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen guarantees freedom of religion, as long as religious activities do not infringe on public order in ways detrimental to society. ... This article is about the general concept. ... Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience and freedom of ideas) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, regardless of anyone elses view. ... Intellectual Freedom is a human right. ... A sexual norm can refer to a personal or a social norm. ...

Views

Various groups along the political spectrum naturally differ on what they believe constitutes "true" political freedom. Friedrich Hayek famously noted that "liberty" and "freedom" have probably been the most abused words in recent history today. Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A political spectrum is a way of visualizing different political positions. ... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna – March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ...

In libertarianism, freedom is defined in terms of interference with the individual pursuit of happiness either by government or other persons, where interference is defined as unreasonably preventing others from realising their will in their chosen course of action or in their use of things. This does not mean that libertarians are pro-business. Rather, they simply oppose interference in any consenting acts between adults, including capitalist acts. Generally businesses favour regulations that protect them from competition, which requires many restrictions on consenting capitalist acts between adults. Libertarians call for freedom from coercion, governmental and civilian, in social, political, and economic matters. This article is about the political philosophy based on private property rights. ...

On the other hand, those on the political left place more emphasis on freedom as the ability of the individual to realize one's own potential and pursuit of happiness. Freedom in this sense may include freedom from want, poverty, deprivation, or oppression. Left wing redirects here. ...

Many anarchists with the exception of individualist anarchists, anarcho-capitalists, and particularly anarchists that don't qualify their type of anarchism see negative and positive liberty as complementary concepts of freedom. Anarchists that recognize the concepts of negative and positive liberty tend to be left-leaning anarchists such as communist anarchists. Anarchist redirects here. ... In politics, individualist anarchism is a variety of anarchism that emphasises the importance of the individual. ... Anarcho-capitalism refers to an anti-statist philosophy that embraces capitalism as one of its foundational principles. ... Anarchist Communism, also known as Anarcho-Communism, Communo-Anarchism or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ...

Some treat freedom as if it were almost synonymous with democracy, while others see conflicts or even opposition between the two concepts. For example, some people argue that Iraq was free under Paul Bremer on the grounds that it was a rational, humanist, non-subjugating government, long before elections were held^{[citation needed]}. Others have argued that Iraq was free under Saddam Hussein because Iraq was not a colony^{[citation needed]}, while a third claim is that neither Dictatorial nor Colonial rule in Iraq are examples of political freedom. L. Paul Bremer Lewis Paul Bremer III, also known as Jerry Bremer, (born September 30, 1941) was named Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for post-war Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq to replace Jay Garner on May 6, 2003. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ...

Environmentalists often argue that political freedoms should include some social constraint on use of ecosystems. They maintain there is no such thing, for instance, as "freedom to pollute" or "freedom to deforest" given the downstream consequences. The popularity of SUVs, golf, and urban sprawl has been used as evidence that some ideas of freedom and ecological conservation can clash. This leads at times to serious confrontations and clashes of values reflected in advertising campaigns, e.g. that of PETA regarding fur. Bold textHello ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... This article is about the sport. ... Urban sprawl (also: suburban sprawl) is the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area. ... Value redirects here. ... Peta can refer to: Peta (prefix), a prefix meaning times 1015 in the International System of Units People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal-rights organization People Eating Tasty Animals, a parody of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Peta, Greece, a town in the prefecture... For other uses, see Fur (disambiguation). ...

There have been numerous philosophical debates over the nature of freedom, the claimed differences between various types of freedom, and the extent to which freedom is desirable. Determinists argue that all human actions are pre-determined and thus freedom is an illusion. Isaiah Berlin saw a distinction between negative liberty and positive liberty. For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... Determinism is the philosophical proposition that every event, including human cognition and behavior, decision and action, is causally determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences. ... Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (June 6, 1909 – November 5, 1997), was a political philosopher and historian of ideas, regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the 20th century. ... The philosophical concept of negative liberty refers to an individuals liberty from being subjected to the authority of others. ... Positive liberty is an idea that was first expressed and analyzed as a separate conception of liberty by John Stuart Mill but most notably described by Isaiah Berlin. ...

In jurisprudence, freedom is the right to determine one's own actions autonomously ; generally it is granted in those fields in which the subject has no obligations to fulfill or laws to obey, according to the interpretation that the hypothetical natural unlimited freedom is limited by the law for some matters. For the jurisprudence of courts, see Case law. ... In jurisprudence and law, a right is the legal or moral entitlement to do or refrain from doing something or to obtain or refrain from obtaining an action, thing or recognition in civil society. ... An obligation can be legal or moral. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ...

Freedom in politics is generally used as a governing tool. "For what we call freedom is given only to those who obey, it is then when you stand for what you believe and fight back against oppression you lose those freedoms, and when what is taken away should be your inalienable rights what choice does one have but to obey?" - Joseph Garcia For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... The term inalienable rights (or unalienable rights) refers to a set of human rights that are in some sense fundamental, are not awarded by human power, and cannot be surrendered. ...

Recent trends

In modern times the expansion of "freedom" around the world is considered by some to be synonymous with increased participation in democratic political systems, without the influence of superpower country in any means. For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation). ... A political system is a system of politics and government. ...

In the 20th Century, the world observed a great reverse in terms of political situation, since the revolutionary struggles in areas of the world suddenly succeeded in establishing freedom from foreign colonialists and domination, at least in places like Africa, even though others may argue that the Cold War caused most of these new states to become puppet states for various regimes such as in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Quotes

(see also Quotes about Freedom) Look up freedom in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• "Ελευθερία ή θάνατος" (Freedom or death)
  —Greek War cry during their war of independence.
• "Give me Liberty or give me Death!"
  —Patrick Henry
• "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
  —Mahatma Gandhi
• "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains."
  —Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• "Sloboda ili Smrt" (Freedom or death)
  — Motto of the Bulgarian Freedom Fighters during their many uprisings against the Otoman empire
• "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
  —Benjamin Franklin
• "The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defence are the constitutional rights secure."
  —Albert Einstein
• "Live free or die"
  —Motto of US state of New Hampshire
• "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."
  —Kris Kristofferson

Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered primarily for his stirring oratory. ... “Gandhi” redirects here. ... Rousseau redirects here. ... Benjamin Franklin (January 17 [O.S. January 6] 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most well known Founding Fathers of the United States. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ... For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Kristoffer Kris Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an influential American country music songwriter, singer and actor. ...

See also

• Liberty
• Equality
• Slavery
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of thought
• Philosophy of freedom

For other uses, see Liberty (disambiguation). ... Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal or level) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals from birth. ... Slave redirects here. ... This article is about the general concept. ... Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience and freedom of ideas) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, regardless of anyone elses view. ... The Philosophy of Freedom is Rudolf Steiners fundamental philosophical work. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

freedom

• Freedom House
• International Freedom of Expression Exchange
• Political Navigator Directory of major US related political sources