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What is freedom? Compare and contrast liberals, civic republicans, and Marxists on the question

of freedom. Who makes the stronger argument, and why?

Freedom refers to the ability people get to exercise their powers and rights without restrictions. It
also refers to the liberal mandate one possesses to speak and act without experiencing external
constraints. Liberals are groups or individuals who believe that the main purpose of the
government is to protect its citizens from obstacles that deny them the power and the right to
achieve their potential. Civic republicans are people in an organized judicial society that operates
with ideals that advocate, serve, and secure the common good for all citizens. Marxists are
supporters of economic and political theories of Carl Marxist and Friedrich Engels, which
advocate for social transformation through communism.
According to Charles Austin, constitutional abandonment of the Old-World nation suggests that
the government elects consist of people with substantial property margins. It implies that an
individual could only vote for the legislature or the governor position if he owns a value estate of
up to sixty pounds or has a freehold estate of the annual value of three pounds. It goes ahead to
signify the type of class that forms the government. The fate of the nation was for the wealthy in
society. Marxists view freedom as something that can be achieved by restoring humanity, ending
the capitalist system and embracing a communist society where the state provides for its people
to free them from thinking about their needs. The ideology of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel
advocates for a social-economic transformation where real freedom is attained by ending the
social, political and economic classes in the society.
Civic republicans contrast autocracy by advocating for democratic governance with institutional
principles and restrains that guarantee the citizens’ freedom. Supremacy is the existence of
unequal power in a community and a good example is given in The Pullman Company. The
summer of 1894 in Chicago was not like any other because the people experienced a massive
strike and riot from Pullman Company’s workers who were protesting against social injustices.
According to Jane Adam, the tragedy occurred due to poor personal relationships and weak
industrial association. In the beginning, Pullman's heart was with constant sympathy for lower-
class people; the interests of the company went in line with the benefit of the employees. The
president used to incorporate the employees’ views for the company’s well-being; this was
achieved by not just focusing on the welfare of the company but also checking on the living
conditions of the workers (Hamington & Maurice, pg.106). It might have been a significant
effort for his success; however, the outcome from the president turned out to be somewhat
commercial than social. Later on, the president assumed that he understood the needs of his
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people, therefore, he never offered them a chance to express themselves. Within no time, the
wages became competitive from the shifting interest in trade. The president’s behavior escalated
into a dictatorial system resulting in a denial of freedom to the employees. It follows from such
needs that led to the tragedy of a riot experience in the summer of 1894. The above example
seeks to signify how freedom can be compromised through dictatorial leadership. A definite
sense of egoism tends to hinder freedom over the subjects. Civic republicanism advocates for
freedom through upholding ideals such as civic virtue, patriotism, separation of powers or
institutional restrains and checks and balances mechanisms.
According to De Tocqueville, a master can never share similarities with the servant. One seems
to be dependent on the other, and thus the servant is required to follow the master’s commands to
the latter, thus promoting a class system. An aristocracy is a form of government where noble
members hold power and authority over the less fortunate. In a nation, some men devote their
lives to excellent education, investment their wealth and knowledge to opening large
establishment to meet their social-economic needs through the division of labour (De
Tocqueville, pg. 6). As the masses of people turn to democracy, it only guarantees the rights of
the majority and neglects the minority hence creating inequality between the rich and the poor.
Everyone has the right to stay in any environment free of oppression from religion or civic
relationships, among others. According to Samuel Adam's, the liberalism of man is to be free
from all human forms of superiority. Liberty is only to have the laws of nature in a man's rule but
not any legislative authority. It is irrational for an individual to suppose under the power of man
in society. By engaging in such an action, a man deprives himself of his natural rights (Adams &
Samuel, pg.416). An end to the civic government in society results in life, liberty and prosperity.
It implies that if men resist any form of natural right, external law and civic republicans, it will
save the entire society. Human being freedom is a gift from God; hence it is not in the power of
man to separate them from a God-given right. Christianity always tends to evaluate acts of
liberty.
On evaluating the three freedom approaches, the liberals present a stronger argument. Marxists
ideologies advocate for a communist society but fail to offer a good approach on how it can
guarantee real freedom. Marxists thoughts make the immoral, selfish and ignorant people to
infringe on the rights of others who may be loyal. Also, people with the ability to create wealth
can never exploit their potential. On the other hand, civic republicans’ approach does not
guarantee real freedom because democracy favors the majority and the authorities mandated to
protect the people can also turn against its people. From the above argument, the aspect of
freedom is brought out sharply by liberals. They argue out the unique element of freedom which
to have the right to act and think the way one wants. Christianity builds the strongholds of
liberalism. John Beardsley suggests that "We should honour the Lord with our riches". The
statement contradicts the civic republicans and Marxists arguments. The Bible supports human
liberty by encouraging people to dwell in love, peace and harmony. Liberalism governance
secures peoples’ lives and liberty and eradicates obstacles like poverty, ignorance, disease and
discrimination which prevent the people from realizing their potential and achieving their goals.
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Reference

Adams, Samuel. "The Rights of the Colonists." Work 7 (1906): 417-428.

De Tocqueville, A. (2013). Democracy in America.

Hamington, Maurice. "Jane Addams and a politics of embodied care." The Journal of
Speculative Philosophy (2001): 105-121.