Liberty means the absence of restraints on the activities of individuals.It provides opportunities to develop oneself fully. India borrowed deals of liberty, equality and fraternity from France.
Negative liberty | Positive liberty |
| Negative liberty is primarily concerned with freedom from external restraint. It is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. | It is understood as the possession of power and resources to act in an environment that overcomes the inequalities that divide us. It is provided by institutions. |
| It defines and defends the area of an individual’s life where no external authority can interfere. | It defines the area of society where an individual can be free with some constraints made by the society and the government. |
| It is concerned with the conditions of individuals. | It is concerned with the enabling conditions of society. |
| It is concerned with explaining the idea of ‘freedom from’ interference from other people or state. | It is the idea of ‘freedom/capacity to’ overcome external restraints whether imposed by the society or state. It is the ability to fullfil one’s purposes. |
| More negative liberty leads to more freedom. | More positive liberty checks excess of freedom to an individual, which could be an obstruction for social stability. |
| Example: Imagine if everyone is driving their vehicles as per their will and there is no traffic control. | Example: Traffic control is restraining the free will of people for building capacity for society to function properly. |
Liberty | Freedom |
| Liberty deals with the state of being ‘free to do something’. | Freedom is the state of being ‘free from something’. |
| Liberty is most often used in context of being free, but under a legal framework. | However, freedom is more commonly used word which describes one’s ability to act according to his or her own wish without any type of external pressure. |
| Liberty is the responsible use of freedom without depriving anyone else of their freedom. | Freedom is the ability to do as one will and what one has the power to do. |
| Granted by the authority to people in common. | Extracted from government. |
