more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 21778

[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 5. Freedom of lifestyle ]

Full Idea

The third moment of liberal freedom for Hegel is the unity of the first two - the freedom to engage in some specific pursuit, but in so doing to preserve the sense that one is not irrevocably committed to that pursuit.

Gist of Idea

True liberal freedom is to pursue something, while being free to cease the pursuit

Source

report of Georg W.F.Hegel (Elements of the Philosophy of Right [1821], 005) by Stephen Houlgate - An Introduction to Hegel 08 'The Limits'

Book Ref

Houlgate,Stephen: 'An Introduction to Hegel' [Blackwell 2005], p.183

A Reaction

Not too surprising, but Hegel is interesting for thinking that we shouldn't just rabbit on about having 'freedom', but should investigate more closely what this is exactly supposed to mean.

The 40 ideas with the same theme [extent to which citizens can live as they wish]:

8234 Bondage and liberation are relative terms, which only frighten those already terrified of the universe [Anon (Cent)]
6679 It is not good to be too free [Pascal]
19994 Freedom in society is ability to do what is right, and not having to do what is wrong [Montesquieu]
19746 Like rich food, liberty can ruin people who are too weak to cope with it [Rousseau]
7242 Appetite alone is slavery, and self-prescribed laws are freedom [Rousseau]
7675 Schiller speaks obsessively of freedom throughout his works [Schiller, by Berlin]
23271 The goal of the world is Spirit's consciousness and enactment of freedom [Hegel]
21778 True liberal freedom is to pursue something, while being free to cease the pursuit [Hegel, by Houlgate]
21779 People assume they are free, but the options available are not under their control [Hegel]
20517 Utilitarianism values liberty, but guides us on which ones we should have or not have [Mill, by Wolff,J]
20516 Mill defends freedom as increasing happiness, but maybe it is an intrinsic good [Wolff,J on Mill]
7215 True freedom is pursuing our own good, while not impeding others [Mill]
7220 Restraint for its own sake is an evil [Mill]
7218 Individuals are not accountable for actions which only concern themselves [Mill]
7221 Blocking entry to an unsafe bridge does not infringe liberty, since no one wants unsafe bridges [Mill]
7223 Pimping and running a gambling-house are on the border between toleration and restraint [Mill]
5306 The free development of each should be the condition for the free development of all [Marx/Engels]
18304 Saints want to live as they desire, or not to live at all [Nietzsche]
21519 We need security and liberty, and then encouragement of creativity [Russell]
23528 The value of liberty allows freedom of action, even if that distresses other people [Hart,HLA]
20544 Berlin distinguishes 'negative' and 'positive' liberty, and rejects the latter [Berlin, by Swift]
7418 The idea of liberation suggests there is a human nature which has been repressed [Foucault]
21946 Prisons gradually became our models for schools, hospitals and factories [Foucault, by Gutting]
21733 The right-wing conception of freedom is based on the idea of self-ownership [Cohen,GA]
21739 Plenty of people have self-ownership, but still lack autonomy [Cohen,GA]
9231 Freedom needs autonomy (rather than causal independence) - embracing our own desires and choices [Frankfurt]
20527 Liberty Principle: everyone has an equal right to liberties, if compatible with others' liberties [Rawls]
4680 Autonomy seems to acquire greater weight when the decision is more important to a person [Glover]
21015 Negative liberty is incoherent; all liberties, to do and to be, require the prevention of interference [Nussbaum]
18651 The most valuable liberties to us need not be the ones with the most freedom [Kymlicka]
9278 Nowadays we identify the free life with the good life [Gray]
20518 Liberty principles can't justify laws against duelling, incest between siblings and euthanasia [Wolff,J]
20531 Either Difference allows unequal liberty, or Liberty makes implementing Difference impossible [Wolff,J]
20995 Capabilities are part of freedom, involving real opportunities [Sen]
20998 Freedom can involve capabilities, independence and non-interference [Sen]
20545 Maybe a freedom is from a restraint, and also in order to do something [Swift]
20693 Freedom may work against us, as individuals can choose to leave, and make fewer commitments [Harari]
22836 'Freedom from' is an empty idea, if the freedom is not from impediments to my desires [Charvet]
22837 Positive freedom can lead to coercion, if you are forced to do what you chose to do [Charvet]
22844 First level autonomy is application of personal values; second level is criticising them [Charvet]