Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - Concepts of Liberty [Druckversion]

Concepts of Liberty

Freedom

"The man who asks of freedom anything other than itself is born to be a slave."

There is no more vivid articulation of the liberal credo than this quote by Alexis de Tocqueville from 1856.

People are free when their actions are not hampered by the obstacles others put in their way. However, this kind of liberty is desirable and can be morally justified only if it does not destroy the principle in itself. Liberals believe that freedom of action ends when it resorts to force and coercion to curtail the very same freedom enjoyed by others. In other words, we need a more precise definition of the sphere of freedom that each individual is entitled to.

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