PROJECT ON

T.H.Green's view on liberty

SUBMITTED TO: - MS. AYESHA RAHMAN
(FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE)
SUBMITTED BY: - TANVI PRIYA
ROLL NO. : 164
SEMESTER I
DATE OF SUBMISSION:- 26/10/201
HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LA! UNIVERSITY
RAIPUR" C.#.
AC$NO!LED#MENT
At the outset, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thank my teacher, Ms. Ayesha Rahman
for putting her trust in me and giving me a project topic such as this and for having the faith in me to
deliver. Maam, thank you for an opportunity to help me grow. I would also like to express my
gratitude to my freinds for their support and help.
My gratitude also goes out to the staff and administration of !"# for the infrastructure in the form of
our li$rary and I% "a$ that was a source of great help for the completion of this project.
%anvi priya
R&"" no. '()
*emester + I
,atch '-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
.&!%/!% 0A1/ !&.
* A.2!&3"/41/M/!% 5
* &,6/.%I7/ A!4 80&%/*I* )
* I!%R&4#.%I&! 9
* %..1reen : "ife (
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* 0&*I%I7/ A!4 !/1A%I7/
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* ,I,"I&1RA08 55
OB%ECTIVES
* %o understand what the term >li$erty? means.
* %o discuss the types of li$erty.
* %o research on the view of %.. 1reen on li$erty.
* %o analy@e the %..1reens view on li$erty.
H&'()*+,-,
* %..1reen supports positive li$erty.
* %..1reens idealist li$erty is inter:related with the concept of moral and individualistic
li$erty .
R+,+./0* M+)*(1(2(3&
%he present study will $e a descriptive and analytical study $ased on review of secondary sources such
as $ooks, literature, articles, journals, we$ pages, etc.
I4)/(150)-(4
"i$erty can $e defined as the state of $eing free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed $y
authority on oneAs $ehaviour or political views."i$erty is mainly of two main types , positive and
negative.
0ositive li$erty means free from internal restraints, such as greed, lust ignorance, etc. ere expresses
the rationality of the true soul that is uncovered when internal restraints are removed. *trict laws should
$e in effect to prevent people from irrational actsB laws against gam$ling CgreedDE laws against
homosexuality Cunnatural actsDE laws against adultery ClustD. Most orthodox theology, /ast and 3est, is
founded on positive li$erty. F8ou shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. %he motto for
positive li$erty is one must do what one ought Caccording to the natural lawD. 0ositive li$erty morally
prescriptiveE it has positive moral content.
!egative li$erty means freedom from external restraints, which are em$odied in unnecessary laws, etc.
As 6. ,entham statesB F/very law is an infraction of li$erty.F "aws are only conventional and
convenient, and should $e kept to the $are minimum involving murder, physical assault, theft, and
fraud. !o other laws are legitimate. &ne is allowed to indulge in the passions and eccentricities of the
FsoulF as long as this does not affect anyone else, except perhaps a partner, who has consented to FsinF
along with you. In short, you may freely enslave yourself, $ut no one else.
%he motto for negative li$erty is one can do what one pleases Cwithin a minimal legal frameworkD.
%here is an empirical test for negative li$erty, $ut none for positive li$erty. &ne can count the num$er
of external o$stacles as a measure of negative li$erty. It is also empty CnegativeD of moral content.
%homas ill 1reen is commonly considered to $e the father of modern reform li$eralism G the first
major theorist to give a philosophical grounding to what $ecame Cin /nglandD the "a$our 0arty and Cin
the #nited *tatesD the 4emocratic 0arty of the !ew 4eal and the 1reat *ociety.e wasa known to $e
an advocate of postive li$erty.
%he project tries to focus on the view of li$erty supported $y %..1reen and why he felt the importance
for that view.
THOMAS HILL #REEN
--Life and general views .
%homas ill 1reen was $orn on April H, '<-( in ,irkin, a tiny village in the 3est Riding of 8orkshire.
is father 7alentine 1reen was an evangelical rector, the son of a sIuire from "eicestershire. 1reenAs
mother, who died when he was one year old, was the daughter of /dward %homas 7aughan, a vicar in
"eicester. 1reen was distantly related to .romwell and held a great admiration for his place in /nglish
constitutional history. In '<9= he went to Rug$y school where he was undistinguished in his
educational attainment, and thought of as Aconstitutionally indolentA. e went up to ,alliol .ollege in
'<99 where he gained a second class in classical moderations. *purred on $y a sense of failure and the
stimulus of ,enjamin 6owett and .harles 0arker he gained a first class in "iterae umaniores. e
$ecame a Jellow of ,alliol in '<(=, and was re:elected in '<H5, shortly after marrying .harlotte
*ymonds in '<H'. In '<() he was unsuccessful in his application for the chair of moral philosophy at
*t. Andrews, which went to Ro$ert Jlint, now famous for his short $ook on 7ico. e received a "".4.
from 1lasgow #niversity in '<H9, and was appointed 3hyteAs 0rofessor of Moral 0hilosophy in '<H<.
Jor parts of '<(9 and '<(( 1reen discharged his duties as an assistant
commissioner appointed under the terms of reference of the royal commission of '<() to enIuire into
educational provision for the middle class in /ngland. 1reen was a radical on most of the important
issues of his day. e was a champion of the !orth against slavery in the American .ivil 3ar and
actively supported educational, parliamentary, and social reform Cincluding liIuor legislationD in ,ritain
$y speaking at pu$lic meetings and contri$uting to the practical success of schemes he helped to
initiate. e was a personal inspiration to many leading reformers including, AsIuith, Alfred Milner,
.harles 1ore and *cott olland. In '<H( he was elected to &xford %own .ouncil. &n '9 March '<<5
he was taken seriously ill and developed acute signs of $lood poisoning. e died on 5( March and is
$uried in *t. *epulchreAs cemetery, !orth &xford.
1reen had $een involved in local politics for many years, through the #niversity Cnot least in the
campaign to gain access for women to degree:awarding programmesD, temperance societies and the
local &xford "i$eral association. 4uring the passage of the *econd Reform Act, he campaigned for the
franchise to $e extended to all men living in $oroughs Call sane ur$an adult males not currently serving
a jail termD. In this sense, 1reenAs position was more radical than that of most other Advanced "i$erals,
including 3./. 1ladstone and even 6ohn ,right Cnevertheless, one of 1reenAs heroesD. e was also
more radical on this issue than 6ohn *tuart Mill Cthen Mem$er of 0arliament for 3estminsterD in that
1reen did not advocate a property Iualification for the vote.
Influence of Green's thought
1reenAs teaching was, directly and indirectly, the most potent philosophical influence in /ngland during
the last Iuarter of the ';th century, while his enthusiasm for a common citi@enship, and his personal
example in practical municipal life, inspired much of the effort made in the years succeeding his death
to $ring the universities more into touch with the people, and to $reak down the rigour
of class distinctions. is ideas spread to the #niversity of *t. Andrews through the influence of
0rof. 4avid 1eorge Ritchie, a former student of his, who eventually helped found the Aristotelian
*ociety. 6ohn 4ewey wrote a num$er of early essays on 1reenAs thought, including Self-Realization as
the Moral Ideal.
1reen was directly cited $y many social li$eral politicians, such as er$ert *amuel and . . AsIuith,
as an influence on their thought. It is no coincidence that these politicians were educated at ,alliol
.ollege, &xford. Roy attersley called for 1reenAs work to $e applied to the pro$lems of 5'st century
,ritain.
'
is discussion was followed $y other li$eral thinkers such as 4avid Ritchie, 6ohn o$son and "eonard
o$house, all of who contri$uted to the movement of li$eral thought away from a strict laisse@:faire
approach to incorporating a role for the state in social welfare. is contri$ution lies in the attempt to
reconcile a capitalist market society with li$eralism in a democratic state. *haring with Marxism the
ideal of a classless, just society, 1reen never parted from his conviction that it could $e reali@ed within
the market system. Indeed, he
shared the conviction with li$erals as for example J. ayek that a free society could only $e achieved
with a market economy. is spirit influenced thinkers and can $e seen in the social legislation passed
$y "i$eral governments, which laid the foundations to the welfare state.
5
is influence and philosophical reputation remained strong well into the early years of the twentieth
century. Jollowers such as /dward .aird, ,ernard ,osanIuet and Jrancis ,radley did much refine
' httpBKKwww.$ritannica.comK/,checkedKtopicK5));=5K%:1reen
5 httpBKKwww.jstor.orgKsta$leK1reen
1reenAs thought and to extend his principles to the circumstances of a new epoch. %he resulting ,ritish
Idealist movement was eventually transformed into the L!ew "i$eralism of ". %. o$house and 6. A.
o$son amidst growing dissatisfaction with Idealist metaphysics and a general reaction in ,ritain
against Lall things 1erman that resulted from the Jirst 3orld 3ar. %he mid:twentieth century saw a
num$er of influential attacks $eing launched against the movement, most nota$ly from . A. 0richard,
6ohn 0lamenat@, Isaiah ,erlin, and Melvin Richter. Interest in 1reenAs thought has gradually revived
not least due to the work of Alan Milne and 0eter !icholson. A num$er of new works on 1reen and
Idealism have $een produced in recent years
LIBERTY
Meaning and types.
%o 1ettel F"i$erty is the positive power of doing and enjoying those things which are worthy of
enjoyment and workF. According to 0rof . 6. "aski "i$erty is Fthe eager maintenance of that
atmosphere in which men have opportunity to $e their $estselvesF.
-
- Rohini 4asgupta, /ssay on "i$erty httpBKKwww.preservearticles.comK5=''=)5(9;('K''9=:words:essay:on:
li$erty.html
"i$erty, like its 1ermanic synonym, freedom, is one of those words which in modern times is so
charged with emotion that the moment it is mentioned, most people stop thinking $ecause their $rains
are awash in co@y feelings. owever, any$ody with a grain of common sense, looking at the world
around him, appreciates that the world produced $y these feelings is not co@y at all, and so it is not only
.atholics who need to so some thinking.
3hat interests us here is not the external li$erty, called physical li$erty $ecause it means an a$sence of
physical or material constraint. 3hat interests us here is the internal li$erty, called natural li$erty
$ecause it is part of manAs rational nature, or sometimes psychological li$erty $ecause it is part of manAs
psychological make:up.
,roadly, li$erty implies the following things.
C'D "i$erty does not mean the a$sence of all restraints.
C5D "i$erty means the a$sence of unjust and tyrannical restrictions.
C-D "i$erty means legal, moral and reasona$le restrictions on the functions the individuals.
C)D "i$erty is an essential condition for the development of individual personality.
C9D It means the rights of the individual to do things which are not harmful to others.
C(D "i$erty is to $e provided to every individual eIually $y the state without discrimination.
T&'+, (6 L-7+/)&
R. M. MacIver o$serves in his $ook F%he Modern *tateF that A"i$erty itself is not one $ut manifoldA.
%hus, "i$erty can $e divided into five kinds.
(.) N.)5/.2 L-7+/)&B
%he concept of natural li$erty was highlighted $y the contractualists like o$$es, "ocks and Rousseau.
According to them, the concept of li$erty is natural to man and therefore it is in $orn with man.
Rousseau writes F Man is $orn freeF. It implies that li$erty is natural in whose a$sence an organised
political community can never come into existence.
%he natural li$erty is nothing other than his free:will, as it is called in /nglish, meaning manAs faculty
to choose without constraint of instinct $etween alternatives presented to his reason. %his faculty of
free:will, or natural li$erty, is at the heart of the confusion over Fli$ertyF and it is one of the two
li$erties continually confused, so let us look at it well to o$serve its true nature. "et us esta$lish four
pointsB it is a C'D inaliena$le C5D, faculty, a C-D unlimited C)D capacity, which for purposes of illustration
we shall compare to a motor car.
)
) #nderstanding Moral and !atural "i$erty httpBKKwww.sspxseminary.orgKpu$licationsKrectors:letters:separatorKrectors:
letterK'<;.html
(7) C-8-2 L-7+/)& B
%he civil li$erty is enjoyed in the capacity of a man or an individual. %he a$sence of civil li$erty will
reduce the man to the status of stud animals. %his li$erty is granted $y the state to its people in the form
of rights, like the right to life, li$erty, property, freedom of expression, freedom of religion etc.
9
.ivil "i$erties are >freedoms of citi@ens that government may not infringe upon.? In other words,
government may not limit these freedoms in any way. owever, despite the definition, government
must and does limit these freedoms every single day in order to protect society. C/xampleB people have
freedom of speech, $ut they cannot $e allowed to shout MJIR/N in a crowded theatreD.
%he real Iuestion is where exactly government should draw the specific line $etween what is allowed
versus what must $e limited in order to protect society and maintain order. %his line is constantly
changing in reaction to events like ;K'', and often we must await the results of a trial to see where the
dividing line is at this time O place.
(0) P(2-)-0.2 L-7+/)&B
0olitical li$erty is enjoyed $y a person in the capacity of a citi@en. %his li$erty ena$les a person to
associate himself in the affairs of the state. It includes the right to vote, right to hold pu$lic office, right
to canvass, right to petition etc. 0rof. "aski writes for the enjoyment of this li$erty two conditions are
necessary: C'D widespread education, C5D supply of honest and straightforward information.
(1) E0(4(9-0 L-7+/)&B
A person enjoys economic li$erty in the capacity of a worker. %his li$erty was highlighted $y 2arl
Marx who propounded for an exploitation free society. It implies the a$sence of unemployment,
exploitation, unfair wages, insecurity, su$standard living etc.
(+) N.)-(4.2 L-7+/)&B
!ational li$erty implies Aself:ruleA of the people /very nation has a right to rule over themselves. It
means the a$sence of imperialism and colonialism. %hus when a states $orn, it is $orn with a right to $e
9 .ivil "i$erties !otes httpBKKfswe$.$ain$ridge.eduKjvan@oK.ivilP5="i$erties.pdf
independent and sovereign. %he nation should $e independent of foreign domination as it will lead to
slavery, exploitation and racial discrimination.
(
,esides the five li$erties, with the passage of time, the concept of internationalism and International
li$erty has emerged and the entire world is viewed as one family of nations. %he international li$erty
implies renunciation of war, a$andonment of the use of force and peaceful settlement of all
international disputes, limitation on the production of mass destructive weapons, coexistence of nation:
states, international cooperation and peaceful world order.
POSITIVE AND NE#ATIVE LIBERTY
I4)/(150)-(4
F%he tree of li$erty must from time to time $e watered with the $lood of tyrants and patriots.F
: %homas 6efferson
M. 2.1andhi writes F"i$erty does not mean the a$sence of restraint $ut it lies in development of
personalityF. %he Jrench 4eclaration of the Right of man C'H<;D says F"i$erty consists in the power to
do everything that does not injure another.F
H
%he word liberty can refer to many things, $ut famous *ocial and 0olitical %heorist Isaiah ,erlin C';=;:
';;HD recogni@ed two main types of li$erty. ,erlin descri$ed a statement such as FI am slave to no
manF as one of !egative "i$erty, that is, freedom from another individualAs direct interference. e
contrasted this with a 0ositive Jreedom statement such as FI am my own masterF, which lays claim to a
freedom to choose oneAs own pursuits in life . %he idea of differentiating $etween a negative and a
positive sense of the term Lliberty goes $ack at least to 2ant. "ater, it was examined and defended in
depth $y Isaiah ,erlin in the ';9=s and (=s. 4iscussions a$out positive and negative li$erty normally
take place within the context of political and social philosophy. %hey are distinct from philosophical
( Rohini 4asgupta, /ssay on "i$erty httpBKKwww.preservearticles.comK5=''=)5(9;('K''9=:words:essay:on:
li$erty.html
H httpBKKwww.li$ertarianism.orgKpu$licationsKessaysKexcursionsKnegative:positive:li$erty:some:historical:reflections
discussions a$out free will although sometimes they may $e related. 3ork on the nature of positive
li$erty often overlaps with work on the nature of autonomy.
Positive liberty may $e understood as self:mastery which includes oneAs having a role in choosing who
governs the society of which one is a part. Isaiah ,erlin traced positive li$erty from AristotleAs
definition of citi@enship, which is historically derived from the social role of the freemen of classical
AthensB it was, ,erlin argued, the li$erty in choosing their government granted to citi@ens, and extolled,
most famously, $y 0ericles. ,erlin granted that $oth concepts of li$erty represent valid human ideals,
and that $oth forms of li$erty are necessary in any free and civilised society.
Jor ,erlin, negative liberty represents a different, and sometimes contradictory, understanding of the
concept of li$erty, which needs to $e carefully distinguished. Its later proponents Csuch as %ocIueville,
.onstant, MontesIuieu, 6ohn "ocke, 4avid ume and 6ohn *tuart Mill, who accepted .hrysippusA
understanding of self:determinationD insisted that constraint and discipline were the antithesis of li$erty
and so were Cand areD less prone to confusing li$erty and constraint in the manner of rationalists and the
philosophical har$ingers of totalitarianism. %his concept of negative li$erty, ,erlin argued, constitutes
an alternative, and sometimes even opposed, concept to positive li$erty, and one often closer to the
intuitive modern usage of the word.
POSITIVE LIBERTY
0hilosophers like 0lato, /pictetus, .hristian theology, 2ant, and Marx supported the idea of 0ositive
"i$erty. It means free from internal restraints, such as greed, lust ignorance, etc. It expresses the
rationality of the true soul that is uncovered when internal restraints are removed. According to this
view, strict laws should $e in effect to prevent people from irrational actsB
* laws against gam$ling CgreedDE
* laws against homosexuality Cunnatural actsDE
* laws against adultery ClustD.
Most of the orthodox theologies of /ast and 3est are founded on positive li$erty. %he motto of positive
liberty isB FYou shall know the truth and the truth shall make you freeF, that means one must do what
one ought, in accordance to the natural law. 0ositive li$erty has a moral prescriptiveE it has positive
moral content.
<
0hilosopher ,erlin notes that historically positive li$erty has proven particularly suscepti$le to
rhetorical a$useE especially from the '<th century onwards, it has either $een paternalistically re:drawn
from the third:person, or conflated with the concept of negative li$erty and thus disguised underlying
value:conflicts.
,erlin contended that under the influence of 0lato, Aristotle, 6ean:6acIues Rousseau, Immanuel 2ant
and 1. 3. J. egel, modern political thinkers often conflated positive li$erty with rational action, $ased
upon a rational knowledge to which, it is argued, only a certain elite or social group has access. %his
rationalist conflation was open to political a$uses, which encroached on negative li$erty, when such
interpretations of positive li$erty were, in the nineteenth century, used to defend nationalism,
paternalism, social engineering, historicism, and collective rational control over human destiny. ,erlin
argued that, following this line of thought, demands for freedom paradoxically could $ecome demands
for forms of collective control and discipline + those deemed necessary for the Fself:masteryF or Fself:
determinationF of nations, classes, democratic communities, and even humanity as a whole. %here is
thus an elective affinity, for ,erlin, $etween positive li$erty, when it is rhetorically conflated with goals
imposed from the third:person that the individual is told they FshouldF rationally desire, and the
justifications for political totalitarianism, which contrary to value:pluralism, presupposed that values
exist in 0ythagorean harmony.
;
NE#ATIVE LIBERTY
0hilosophers such as &ckham, o$$es, "ock, 6.*. Mill and "i$ertarian 0arty supported the view of
!egative "i$erty. !egative li$erty means freedom from external restraints, which are em$odied in
unnecessary laws, etc. As 6. ,entham statesB F/very law is an infraction of li$erty.F "aws are only
conventional and convenient, and should $e kept to the $are minimum involving murder, physical
assault, theft, and fraud. !o other laws are legitimate. &ne is allowed to indulge in the passions and
eccentricities of the FsoulF as long as this does not affect anyone else, except perhaps a partner, who has
consented to FsinF along with you. In short, you may freely enslave yourself, $ut no one else.
< O.P Gauba, An Introduction to Political Theory, 5
th
edition
; httpBKKplato.stanford.eduKentriesKli$erty:positive:negativeK
%he motto for negative liberty is one can do what one pleases Cwithin a minimal legal frameworkD.
%here is an empirical test for negative li$erty, $ut none for positive li$erty. &ne can count the num$er
of external o$stacles as a measure of negative li$erty. It is also empty CnegativeD of moral content.
'=
!egative li$erty is the a$sence of o$stacles, $arriers or constraints. &ne has negative li$erty to the
extent that actions are availa$le to one in this negative sense. 0ositive li$erty is the possi$ility of acting
G or the fact of acting G in such a way as to take control of oneAs life and reali@e oneAs fundamental
purposes. 3hile negative li$erty is usually attri$uted to individual agents, positive li$erty is sometimes
attri$uted to collectivities, or to individuals considered primarily as mem$ers of given collectivities.
Comparison of negative and positive liberty
,oth the views of negative and positive li$erty have $een given $y li$eral thinkers and they are
associated with the pro$lem of the relationship $etween li$erty and authority. %he negative view of
li$erty was given when the li$erain thinkers were suspicious of the authority of the a$solutist state. %he
positive view of li$erty was given when the state power was firmly in the hands of the middle the
hands of the middle classes and negative concept of li$erty was challenged $y the working classes.
!egative li$erty is $ased on the market concept of society. 0ositive li$erty emphasises the social aspect
of man.!egative li$erty is not associated with rights, eIuality, morality and justice. 0ositive li$erty
regards li$erty, eIuality and justice as mutually related. If we want to understand in very simple ways,
keeping our definitions to just two words each, negative li$erty means >freedom from,? while positive
li$erty means >capacity to.?
Another way of thinking a$out the differenceGthough again, its a rough oneGis to see negative
li$erty as $eing a$out the a$sence of external limits, while positive li$erty is a$out the a$sence
of internal limits. In the positive aspect of li$erty free and full opportunity is provided $y law to every
individual for the development of his personality. 0rof. "aski supports the positive aspect of li$erty. All
the modern democratic states accept and recognise the positive aspect of li$erty as against the negative
aspect of li$erty, as a$solute and unrestrained freedom will degenerate into licence. 0rof. ,arker
$elieves all actions of the individual are social:actions as they affect society.
Thomas ill Green's view on Liberty
'= httpBKKwww.li$ertarianism.orgK$logKwhat:are:negative:positive:li$erty:why:does:it:matter
%.. 1reen $elieved in the eternal consciousness. 1reens metaphysics $egins with the Iuestion of
mans relation to nature. Man, he said, is self:conscious. %he simplest mental act
involves consciousness of changes and of distinctions $etween the self and the o$ject o$served. %o
know, 1reen asserted, is to $e aware of relations $etween o$jects. A$ove manGwho can know only a
small portion of such relationsGis 1od. %his >principle which renders all relations possi$le and is itself
determined $y none of them? is an eternal self:consciousness
''
. e often eIuates the actualisation of
Lthe eternal consciousness with $oth the unfolding of the individualAs will, and the actualisation of the
1od in the world. According to him the eternal consciousness is the law of nature or the will of 1od or
its idea, or freedom in the conscious union with 1od, or harmony with the true law of oneAs $eing. e
also defined eternal consciousness as freedom in devotion to self:imposed duties. All these arguments
are same with different words. e $elieved in unfolding of the eternal consciousness means increasing
manifestation of 1od in the world. %he imperatives of divine reason are communicated to the
individual through the assimilation and reformulation of the accumulated social wisdom $y individual
conscience. 1reen argues 1od is not to $e sought in nature, nor in any $eginning or end of nature, $ut
in man himself. >1odAs fulfilment of himself? is then the growing explicitness of the eternal
consciousness in the life of man G a growth which is self:generating.
'5
%hat is, the growing unity of
menAs will and reason with the will and reason of 1od. %hus, through his society the individual tends to
reach an increasingly clear and sophisticated recognition of what is ultimately true and good. e thinks
individuals feel a natural drive to understand their perceived world as $eing underlain $y a system of
categories and relations that is complete and internally harmonious. e extends the world of the eternal
consciousness to encompass the world of values as well as the world of facts. 1reen holds that manAs
reason is in an underdeveloped state to the extent that it fails to recognise manAs a$solute goal as the
attainment of that set of circumstances and character which accords with the ultimate harmony of the
worldE that which o$tains when the eternal consciousness is fully explicit in the world.
3illing involves choice, and so 1reen argues reason is central to freedom, for it is $y employing oneAs
rationality that an agent makes choices. 1reen holds that >$y reason, in the practical sense, Qis meantR
the capacity on the part of Qthe individualR to conceive of a $etter state of QhimselfR as an end to $e
attained $y action? .Reason and will are then connected in such a way as to allow the individual to seek
to attain an >ideal?, understood as a state of affairs which the individual prefers to his present situation.
Moreover, the individualAs will is only truly free and reasona$le when it draws man to chose that state
which is a$solutely prefera$le and leads to harmony.
'' %..1reen, !rolegomena to "thics #$%%&'.
'5 httpBKKplato.stanford.eduKentriesK1reenK
%he individualAs capacities need to $e given content so that they can $e realised, there$y making him
truly satisfied and complete. 1reen therefore sought for a form of li$erty where an individual can grow,
choose freely and his choices are with the impression for general good. 3hat is the nature of such a
>good for all?S #nfortunately, no one can truly answer this Iuestion until the good life has $een fully
actualised. #ntil then, the life aimed at the perfection of oneAs personality must $e sought. ence,
!icholson argues that >1reen T centres his moral philosophy not on a system of all:encompassing
su$stantive principles from which one can deduce the acts which ought to $e done, $ut on a type of
character in moral agents?.
'-
%his type of character is $ased on conscience in its truest sense that is,
conscientious judgement which has not $een perverted $y short:sighted self:interest. It is in this move
that the individualAs li$erty $ecomes an essential element of moral progress. %herefore, 1reen is found
as a consistent supporter of positive li$erty which is idealistic and moralistic.
Green(s )nalysis *+ Liberty
1reen starts his analysis $y distinguishing $etween positive and negative li$erty. As he phrases it,
negative li$erty is ones freedom to do as he likesE positive li$erty is ones freedom to do as he likes in
pursuit of his doing what he likes.
As he phrases it, negative li$erty is ones freedom to do as he likesE positive li$erty is ones freedom to
do as he likes in pursuit of his doing what he likes.
In other words, li$erty has a higher purpose. 3e donAt pursue unlimited li$erty, we donAt pursue li$erty
for its own sakeE rather, we pursue li$erty $ecause and to the extent that it serves a higher goal, namely,
to $e a$le to make the most of ourselves.
%o show us that we seek li$erty not for itself 1reen uses the example of someone who walks the
wilderness in perfect solitary freedom, hunting the game he likes, growing the crops he likes, pursuing
the avocations that he likes, taking what pleasures he likes. %hat person has perfect individual li$erty,
at least as far as social constraint is concerned, $ut we would not consider him particularly free. As
1reen says, this person Fis not the slave of man, $ut he is the slave of nature.F ,eing in society, with
'- Ro$ert /.1oodin and 0hilip 0etit, A .ompanion to .ontemprorary political philosophy,,lackwell pu$lishing
all of its associated constraints, nevertheless gives this person immensely more freedom that he had in
the state of nature.
1reen then moves to the Iuestion of whether one personAs increased li$erty can rightly $e purchased at
the expense of another personAs decreased li$erty. !o, he says, pointing to our rejection of slave
societies, even though the slave:owners might have increased li$erty. !ote that he is not making a
utilitarian argument against slaveryE he is not arguing that slavery makes the overall sum of li$erty go
down, $ecause the slave has to give up so much more than the master gains. Rather, he is arguing
simply that it is wrong to take away one personAs li$erty to increase anotherAs li$erty.
1reen says that property rights are su$ordinated to this goal of positive li$erty, just like other forms of
li$erty. e uses this to o$ject to certain claims a$out property rights G most importantly, that la$our
cannot $e treated as just any other commodity. %his is crucial, $ecause we often speak of a la$our
market in the same terms as we speak of the commodities market. In the latter, we are $uying and
selling thingsE in the former, we are $uying and selling peopleAs a$ility to pursue those ends of self:
development. 1reen doesnAt deny that la$our can $e $ought and soldE rather, he is arguing that in some
circumstances the vagaries of the market might wind up interfering with peopleAs a$ility to pursue their
self:development.
Jinally, 1reen takes up the o$jection that the laws necessary to implement these programs and
protections represent a violation of peopleAs li$erty. is $asic point is that such laws are not constraints
on what we want anyway.
%he type of character that 1reen wishes to promote is $ased on the individualAs rational $ut personal
evaluation of moral situations, social norms and laws. *tates task is to promote understanding and
rational harmony in society $y allowing individuals to come to their own recognition of the rationality
which is inherent in themselves and their society. %hey should encourage personal li$erty, rather than
personal license.
C/-)-0.2 A4.2&,-,
"i$erty is a concept a$out whose nature a direct definition or demarcation is not possi$le. %he term
li$erty has meant different things to different people. It is derived from the "atin word "i$er which means
free. It is not merely a philosophical or legal concept. It is a product of historical circumstances and its
meaning can $e made clear $y looking at its developmnt in western political thought. "i$erty is not merely
an idea, or ideal, or slogan, or an emotion, $ut it is fundamental concept without which man is hardly a
man. It is concerned with the Iuality of human life. Jreedom for man not merely an empty claim $ut a $asic
necessity. It is the value of individuals to the agency. It holds an agreement with it that includes the freedom
of will and determinism with the role of responsi$ilities of the individual in society. If li$erty is to $e
enjoyed $y all, that li$erty has to $e limited. %he li$erty of one can not $e allowed to $e an o$struction in
the li$erty on any other. "i$erty demands the man to $e a rational $eing and exercise his freedom for
rational and ideal o$jects. If this happens then every individual will has his freedom and happiness.
owever, as no man is perfect it is necessary to safeguard li$erty $y making some restrictions. ence ,
li$erty should $e provided $ut in a regulated manner so that every individual gets an eIual opportunity to
exercise his freedom.
In the context of 1reen, he is noticed giving more emphasis on individualism.
Individualism is strong in all li$eral thought $ut 1reen had replaced the emphasis of the autonomy of
the individual that the formers li$erals supported with the emphasis on the organic society, and the
value of community attri$ute. e stressed that an individual is a part of society and he holds the
o$ligations towards the community. %he development of his ideas has to $e seen in the context of the
historic circumstances given during his lifetime. %hese were highly uneIual socio:economic
conseIuences of the industrial revolution. %he drastic economic development was accompanied $y
poor work and health conditions. *uch conditions made him to critici@e the $urdens, ineIuities of
market system $urdened on working class. It urged him to demand policies which would not only in
saying $ut de facto provide for eIual opportunities and li$erties. e wished for full and eIual human
development, where he emphasised upon the eternal link of a man with his
consciousness and the need for that consciousness to grow freely. e stressed the need for moral and
ethical considerations and o$ligation of society as a whole to $etter ensure each individualAs possi$ility
of self:reali@ation.. 1reen has $een properly descri$ed as Fthe Jather of ,ritish Idealism,F. e felt that
if an individual is free to make his choices it should $e with the thought of general good and not only
personal greed. e said that li$erty should $e the freedom to follow what one wants to $ut in restrains
of harmony and one should urge for ideal goals.
CONCLUSION
%he project dealt with the concept of li$erty, the life of %.. 1reen, philosophy and mainly
concentrated upon his view on li$erty. %.. 1reen was the $eliever of positive li$erty. e supported the
notion of individualism and idealism %.. 1reen views li$erty as a positive power capacity of doing or
enjoying something worth doing or enjoying. It was not only a legal $ut actual possi$ility. It was $oth
legal and social conception. Jor him the Iuality of li$erty enjoyed $y the people depended upon the
moral Iuality of society and the persons who constituted that society. It was the duty of government to
remove o$stacles which stood in the way of moral development of people. According to 1reen an
individual should act as per his own conscience. %he moral li$erty is contained in the individualistic
interpretation of li$erty. It can $e understood as the autonomy of the rational will, where an individual
should recogni@e and perform his duties properly in the alignment of the goodwill of the state. Moral is
judged at a point for li$erty as it is connected with the individuals self realisation that has a meaning
only in the context of common good or welfare for all. It is not concerned with state $ut ones own self
$ut keeping with the general good in mind. ence, without moral li$erty there is no free scope for
development of the personality of an individual. It is a very important characteristic of man. . %he
hypothesis that %.. 1reens idealist li$erty is inter:related with the concept of moral and
individualistic li$erty was found correct.
1reen was also discovered to $e a $eliever that every man has a consciousness that is eternal and
related to god. %he thrust of 1reenAs immanentism was clearly heretical in his day, and this heresy
underlies many of his arguments regarding the nature and dynamics of the eternal consciousness. is
religious thought and his conception of its relationship to the philosophy strongly suggests that he
$elieved the eternal consciousness did exist within every human $eing, whether or not its existence was
recognised and irrespective of the apparent logic of the particular individualAs particular life:world.
ence the 1reens love for free will was related to his $elief that a man eternal consciousness needs to
grow to increase manifestation of 1od in the world. &nes experiences and $eliefs are the deciding
factors in shaping his choices, $eliefs and followings.
It can $e said that his experiences and $eliefs played a major role in his support for positive li$erty .
%he project concludes with an analysis $y 1reen on his views and an analysis on the concept of li$erty,
its need and 1reens philosophy.
BIBLIO#RAPHY
BOO$S,
* &.0 1au$a, An Introduction to 0olitical %heory, 9
th
edition
* 1eorge *a$ine and %homas " %horson, A istory &f political theory, )
%h
edition
* Ro$ert /. 1oodin and 0hilip 0etit, A .ompanion to .ontemporary political philosophy,
,lackwell pu$lishing
*
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