In this article you will learn about the various Kinds of Liberty in Political Science.
Kinds of Liberty
- Natural Liberty - Natural Liberty means absence of all constraints and freedom to do whatever one likes. It is justified on the ground that since man is born free, he is to enjoy rights and freedom to act as he wills. But this can be negative and harmful. The theory of natural liberty is considered to be an imaginary one. There can be no real freedom or else it will be considered as a jungle society or an uncivilised society. Unrestrained freedom always leads to chaos and anarchy. Eventually this concept lost its value.
- Civil Liberty - Civil Liberty is the liberty in which each individual enjoys as a member of the society. This is equally available to all the individuals and all enjoy equal rights and freedom. It is enjoyed only under laws, rules and restrictions made by the state and society. It is totally opposite to Natural liberty. The former accepts the presence of restraints whereas the latter denounces the presence of restraints of any kind. Further, Civil Liberty has two features; first the State guarantees Civil Liberty and protects it from actions of other men who limit the equal liberty of all. Second, Civil Liberty stands for the protection of rights and freedoms of all from the undue interference by the government.
- Political Liberty - Political Liberty means the opportunity to enjoy political rights by the people. The people enjoy political liberty when they have the right and freedom to participate in the political process. Political Liberty involves exercise of rights like right to vote, right to contest elections, right to form political parties, right to hold office, right to criticise and oppose the policies of the government, and the right to change the government through constitutional means.
- Individual Liberty or Personal Liberty - The freedom to pursue one’s desire and interests as a person who does not engage with the interests or desires of others is known as Individual Liberty. This includes freedom to live, freedom of residence, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of movement, freedom of tastes and pursuits, freedom of religion, freedom to choose any profession or trade or occupation etc.
- Economic Liberty - Economic liberty stands for freedom from unemployment and poverty. It means the availability of the right of a person to work and adequate opportunity for earning his livelihood. It grants the people their right to work, right to adequate opportunities, right to rest and right to economic security.
- National Liberty - National Liberty i.e. independence of the nation denotes that the people of a nation have full freedom (i) to have a constitution of their own, (ii) to organise their own government and adopt any form of government and (iii) freedom from external control over their political system.
- Religious Liberty - It means the freedom to profess any religion of one’s choice. This includes freedom of faith and worship. It also means that all the religions can freely carry out their activities in society.
- Moral Liberty - The freedom to act as one’s conscience is meant to be Moral liberty. It stands for securing moral perfection and moral values.
Therefore, when we demand for the right of liberty we also demand liberty in all these forms because without liberty there is no real enjoyment of our rights and freedom.
This article on Kinds of Liberty in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.
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Political Science