The Western Debate
about Liberty
Quentin Skinner
Nanjing, April 10, 2017
The liberal concept of individual freedom :
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
1. POWER
on the part of the individual to act in pursuit of a given option
(or at least alternative)
and
2. NO INTERFERENCE
with the exercise of this power by any external agent / agencies
And, according to Hobbes’s analysis:
External agencies are said to INTERFERE when:
they act upon the BODY of an individual in such a way that an action within the
POWER of the individual
is prevented OR compelled
due to the application of physical FORCE by the external agency
in such a way as to render the pursuit of any alternative IMPOSSIBLE
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
(1) POWER to act in pursuit of a given option (or at least alternative)
and (2) NO INTERFERENCE by EXTERNAL AGENCIES
acting on the BODY ….…..…OR (most add)…...………...... Bending the WILL
so that action is prevented or compelled
by physical FORCE
rendering alternatives IMPOSSIBLE
by COERCION
rendering alternatives INELIGIBLE
by means of THREATS
that are (a) credible
(b) immediate
(c) serious
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
(1) POWER to act in pursuit of a given option (or at least alternative)
and (2) NO INTERFERENCE
by EXTERNAL AGENCIES
….…..…OR (some add)…......... by
THE SELF
preventing or compelling action
due to operation of:
(a) passion
(b) inauthenticity
(c) false consciousness
(d) other possibilities?
acting on the BODY ….…..…OR (most add)…...………...... acting on the WILL
so that action is prevented or compelled
by physical FORCE
rendering alternatives IMPOSSIBLE
by COERCION
rendering alternatives INELIGIBLE
by means of THREATS
that are
(a) credible
(b) immediate
(c) serious
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
(1) POWER to act in pursuit of a given option (or at least alternative)
and (2) NO INTERFERENCE ……………………..OR…………………………………… SELF-REALISATION
that is: realisation of the
essence of your nature:
(a) a political essence?
(b) a spiritual essence?
(c) other possibilities?
by EXTERNAL AGENCIES ………….….….OR (some add)…......... …..by THE SELF
preventing or compelling action
due to operation of:
(a) passion
(b) inauthenticity
(c) false consciousness
(d) other possibilities?
acting on the BODY ….…..…… . OR (most add)…..………...... acting on the WILL
so that action is prevented or compelled
by physical FORCE
rendering alternatives IMPOSSIBLE
by COERCION
rendering alternatives INELIGIBLE
by means of THREATS
that are
(a) credible
(b) immediate
(c) serious
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
(1) POWER to act in pursuit of a given option (or at least alternative)
and (2) NO DEPENDENCE……….OR………...………..NO INTERFERENCE ……..OR…………..SELF-REALISATION
that is: realisation of the
essence of your nature:
(a) a political essence?
(b) a spiritual essence?
You will not be a liber homo but a slave if:
(c) other possibilities?
(i) there could be interference, contrary to your interests
(ii) due to your dependence on the arbitrary will/power of others
-- The fact of dependence takes away freedom of action
-- Awareness of dependence generates self-censorship
Who, then, live as slaves?
(a) Subjects of monarchs
by EXTERNAL AGENCIES …OR (some add)…by THE SELF
(b) The colonised
preventing or compelling action due to operation of:
(a) passion
(c) Women
(b) inauthenticity
(d) Contemporary examples of arbitrary power:
(c) false consciousness
-- Dependence on the arbitrary power of bosses
(d) Other possibilities?
-- Dependence on the arbitrary power of States
(e) Other possibilities?
by COERCION
acting on the BODY ….…..…OR (most add)…...………...... acting on the WILL
so that action is prevented or compelled
rendering alternatives INELIGIBLE
by physical FORCE
rendering alternatives IMPOSSIBLE
by means of THREATS
that are
(a) credible
(b) immediate
(c) serious
For individuals to enjoy freedom as citizens of a state, there must be
(1) POWER to act in pursuit of a given option (or at least alternative)
and (2) NO DEPENDENCE……….OR………...………..NO INTERFERENCE ……..OR………….. SELF-REALISATION
that is: realisation of the
essence of your nature:
(a) a political essence?
(b) a spiritual essence?
You will not be a liber homo but a slave if:
(c) other possibilities?
(i) there could be interference, contrary to your interests
(ii) due to your dependence on the arbitrary will/power of others
-- The fact of dependence takes away freedom of action
-- Awareness of dependence generates self-censorship
Who, then, live in the manner of slaves?
(a) Subjects of monarchs
by EXTERNAL AGENCIES …OR (some add)…by THE SELF
(b) The Colonised
(c) Women
preventing or compelling action due to operation of:
(d) Contemporary examples of arbitrary power:
(a) passion
-- Dependence on the arbitrary power of bosses
(b) inauthenticity
-- Dependence on the arbitrary power of States
(c) false consciousness
(e) Other possibilities?
(d) other possibilities
by COERCION
acting on the BODY ….…..…OR (most add)…...………...... acting on the WILL
so that action is prevented or compelled
rendering alternatives INELIGIBLE
by physical FORCE
rendering alternatives IMPOSSIBLE
by means of THREATS
that are
(a) credible
(b) immediate
(c) serious