21
H I S T O R Y O F P O L I T I C A L T H O U G H T – S K I N N E R
H I S T O R Y
O F
P O L I T I C A L T H O U G H T
–
S K I N N E R
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin 2
•Negative libertyFreedom from interference
Freedom as an ‘opportunity’ concept
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin 3
•Negative libertyFreedom from interference
Freedom as an ‘opportunity’ concept
Negative theorists repudiate claims that:
1) Individual liberty can be assured through the performance of public services
2) Effective performance of public duties by citizens depends on civic virtues
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin 4
•Positive libertyFreedom as self-mastery
Realise our true ends and rational purposes in community
Negative theorists repudiate claims that:
1) Individual liberty can be assured through the performance of public services
2) Effective performance of public duties by citizens depends on civic virtues
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin 5
•Negative libertyFreedom from interference
Freedom as an ‘opportunity’ concept
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
•Positive libertyFreedom as self-mastery
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin 6
Performance of public services...
...implies...
...an idea of objective human flourishingIndividua
lLIBERTY
Social Control
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner 7
Performance of public services...
...implies...
...an idea of objective human flourishing
Quentin Skinner (1940)8
Advocates a third concept of liberty wherein
attainment of negative liberty is assured through
performance of public services.
The English Civil Wars (1640-1660)9
Parliamentarians:
royal prerogative
equals
living in servitude
Freedom is restricted not only by actual interference, but by the
awareness of living under arbitrary power.
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 11
Revival of classical Roman republican theory of citizenship
in early-modern Europe:
-Machiavelli’s Discorsi
-Harrington’s Commonwealth of Oceana
-Spinoza’s Tractatus Politicus
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 12
Machiavelli:
Freedom=
freedom from interference
advocates negative liberty
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 13
Machiavelli:
Freedom=
freedom from interference
advocates negative liberty
which can only be assured through self-government
impossible in Berlin’s dichotomy
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 14
Machiavelli:
Freedom from interference
assured through curbing of ambizione in public life
ambition easily translates into coercion
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 15
Machiavelli:
Freedom from interference
assured through curbing of ambizione in public life
ambition easily translates into coercion
-external threat: defenceprudenza & animo
-internal threat: lawtemperamento
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Skinner – a third concept of liberty 16
Individual
LIBERTY
Social Control
Berlin’s dichotomy: 17
Performance of public services...
...implies...
...an idea of objective human flourishingIndividua
lLIBERTY
Social Control
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner’s third concept of liberty:18
Performance of public services...
...implies...
...an idea of objective human flourishing
Attainment of liberty cannot be a matter of merely securing personal rights, since it requires the
performance of social duties (at the expense of individual and private ends).
Individual
LIBERTYSocial
Control
Skinner’s third concept of liberty:19
Public dutiesand
individual interests
are
one and the same
Attainment of liberty cannot be a matter of merely securing personal rights, since it requires the
performance of social duties (at the expense of individual and private ends).
Philip Pettit (1945)20
Advocate of freedom as non-domination
