INTERPERSONAL FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF ACTION

In: American political science review, Band 49, Heft 2, S. 353-363

Abstract

To rescue the concept of freedom for the soc sci's, one must distinguish between its purely emotive usages & its various descriptive meanings. Operational definitions are given for freedom & unfreedom in the interpersonal sense (for expressions such as: 'A leaves B free to do either (mean - average) or y or z'; 'With respect to A, B is unfree to do x'. E.g. the latter expression is defined as follows: 'A makes it impossible for B to do x, or A would punish B if B did x'). Thus defined, statements about interpersonal freedom & unfreedom can be empirically tested. Interpersonal unfreedom is not identical with control or power; A may make B unfree to do (mean - average) without controlling B's behavior, & vice versa. The concept of freedom of action does not refer to someone's freedom, but to his ability to do something. The distinction between 'negative' & 'positive' freedom is therefore untenable. (AA - IPSA).