Political Theory: Concepts of Freedom and Constraints

Vocabulary flashcards covering the chapter on Freedom, including definitions of liberty, sources of constraints, Mill's harm principle, and dimensions of freedom.

Freedom

The absence of constraints or restrictions on individuals.

Free Individual

A person who is not controlled or forced by external powers and is capable of making independent decisions.

Apartheid

A racial segregation system under which black people faced severe restrictions and injustices, including being forced to live in townships, experiencing limited freedom of movement, and being denied the right to freely marry.

Free Society

A society that enables an individual to pursue their interests with a minimum of constraints.

Social Constraints

Restrictions, limits, or controls placed on individuals by society, laws, customs, or other people that prevent them from doing certain things in a certain way.

Natural Constraints

Physical limitations arising from nature, such as the inability to fly, distinct from social constraints.

Harm Principle

A concept formulated by John Stuart Mill in his book 'On Liberty', stating that an individual's freedom should only be restricted to prevent harm to others.

Minor Harm

Harm caused by actions that result only in minor inconvenience or irritation to others, associated with self-regarding actions, involving no state interference, and manageable via social boycott or disapproval.

Major Harm

Harm caused by actions that result in physical injury or harm to others or society, impacting safety and well-being, which requires external interference and legal punishment rather than social boycott alone.

Negative Freedom (Liberty)

The dimension of freedom characterized by the absence of external constraints, obstacles, or control by external authorities, allowing individuals to act without interference.

Positive Freedom (Liberty)

The dimension of freedom defined by the presence of conditions that enable individuals to develop their abilities and act without crossing established limits, with external authority intervening if those limits are crossed.

Self-Regarding Actions

A category of human behavior defined by John Stuart Mill in 'On Liberty' referring to actions that only affect the individual performing them (e.g., choosing clothes, hobbies, or religion), over which the state or society has zero right to interfere.

Other-Regarding Actions

A category of human behavior defined by John Stuart Mill referring to actions that have a direct impact on others or society and cause physical harm, damage, or discomfort (e.g., theft or bodily injury), justifying state restriction.

Freedom of Expression

The freedom to express one's views and ideas freely through speech, writing, books, and plays, which belongs to the area of non-interference but may have reasonable restrictions such as respecting privacy or contractual confidentiality.