RBSE Class 11 Political Science Notes Chapter 2 Freedom

These comprehensive RBSE Class 11 Political Science Notes Chapter 2 Freedom will give a brief overview of all the concepts.

RBSE Class 11 Political Science Chapter 2 Notes Freedom

→ Meaning of Liberty
The term Liberty has been derived from the Latin word ‘Liber’ which means ‘absence of restraints’. It means liberty is the freedom to act without being subjected to any restraint. But in true sense, liberty does not mean so. Infact, liberty signifies, “a power or capacity of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying. It is not a license to do what a person can do, but it is a freedom to do anything with caution and responsibility.”
1. According to Laski, “I mean by liberty the absence of restraints upon the existence of those social conditions which in modern civilisation are the necessary guarantees of individual happiness”. Laski further says, “By liberty is meant the eager maintenance of that atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be their best selves.”

2. According to T.H. Green, “Freedom consists in a positive power or capacity of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying.”
Negative Liberty: The negative aspect of liberty means absolute freedom of the individual or it means that the individual has the freedom to do anything. Absence of all restraints is the meaning of negative liberty. According to J. S. Mill, liberty means absence of all restraints. J. S. Mill divided man’s sphere of activity into ‘self-regarding’ and ‘other-regarding’ and State interference is justified only in other-regarding activities in case his action amounts to an intervention into the domain of the freedom of his fellow-beings. Herbert Spencer, Bentham and Adam Smith also supported negative aspect of liberty. According to Prof. Barkar, “Liberty is immunity from interference.”

Positive Liberty : Real liberty has a positive connotation. It does not mean the absence of restrictions. On the other hand, true liberty exists only when every citizen enjoys the opportunity for self-realisation and the State maintains those rights and opportunities which help the citizens to develop all that is best in them. “The true test of liberty lies in the extent to which the law of the land helps the citizen to develop all that is good in him.” The positive aspect of liberty includes the right of man to do or enjoy something that is worth enjoying. According to Laski says, “Liberty is the eager maintenance of that atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be their best selves.” In brief, it means enjoyment of certain important rights, such as freedom of life, freedom of thought and freedom of worship, etc.

→ Kinds / Types / Forms of Liberty :

• Natural Liberty
• Moral Liberty
• Civil Liberty
• Economic Liberty
• Political Liberty
• National Liberty
• International Liberty

→ Relationship between political and economic liberty: There is a close relationship between political and economic liberty. Economic liberty means security of one’s daily bread and reasonable opportunities for earning it. Economic liberty is essential for political liberty. In the absence of unemployment, exploitation, insecurity, unfair wage, etc., citizens can enjoy political liberty. Political liberty has no meaning for an unemployed person, a bonded labourer or a beggar. In India, political liberty has no importance for those people who are living below the poverty line. In fact, political liberty can be enjoyed when it is based on sound economic liberty. Similarly, to have economic liberty, citizens must have political liberty. Without political liberty people cannot remain happy.

→ Safeguards of Liberty :

• Democracy
• Declaration of Fundamental Rights
• Independent Judiciary
• Rule of Law
• Equal Rights
• Economic Rights
• Separation of Powers
• Decentralisation of Power.