TS Inter 1st Year Political Science Study Material Chapter 4 Political Concepts (page2)

2. Liberty

Long Answer Questions

Question 1.

Define Liberty and describe various types of Liberty.

Answer:

Introduction :

The concept of Liberty is of great significance in the study of political science. Liberty is an essential condition without which man cannot develop his personality. It became a source of inspiration to the millions of the people living all over the world.

Meaning :

The term liberty is derived from the Latin word “LIBER” which means free from restrictions.
Definitions :
Liberty is defined in many ways by different political thinkers. Some of them are cited below :
1.“Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seeley
2.“Liberty is the freedom of an individual to express without any external hindrance to his personality”. – G.D.H. Cole
3.“Liberty means the positive power of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying”. – TH. Green
4.“Liberty is the eager maintenance of that atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be at their best selves”. – H.J. Laski
Types of Liberty :
Liberty is of different types. Some of them may be described in the following :
1.Natural liberty
2.Civil liberty
3.Economic liberty
4.Political liberty
5.National liberty.

1. Natural liberty :
   Natural liberty is understood as uncontrolled freedom or absolute freedom. It is believed that natural liberty existed in the pre-social and pre-state human life. According to this concept there were no rules and regulations except the laws of nature in the past. All persons were free to do anything according to their will arid capacity. But this type of liberty is not possible in civilised society, since liberty is a social condition. True liberty does not inconvenience others. Liberty is not a licence. Natural liberty is equal to anarchy. The weak cannot enjoy liberty without law. Some writers imagined that this kind of liberty existed before the origin of state.
2. Civil liberty :
   Civil liberty is also known as personal liberty. It relates to the individual’s freedom in his life as a member of the social organisation. It is enjoyed by the individuals in the society. Civil liberty is the essential pre-requisite to the existence and survival of human beings. It enables them to lead happy, honorable and civilised life in the state. So it is a must to every one. The state recognises the various freedoms of individuals. In this regard Gettle said thus “Civil liberty is the group of rights recognised and implemented by the state”. The constitution of the America and the India have in corporated civil liberty in the form of fundamental rights. Civil liberty is manifested in several rights. These include A) Right to Life B) Right to Work C) Right to Property D) Right to Religion E) Right to Speech, Expression, Assembly, Movement and Residence etc.
3. Economic liberty :
   Economic liberty means the right of everyone to earn his livelihood. Laski described economic liberty as the security and opportunity to find reasonable significance in earning one’s daily bread. Economic liberty ensures everyone freedom from want and fear, hunger and starvation, unemployment and insufficiency. Economic liberty denotes freedom from want or insecurity of economic nature. Without economic liberty democracy is meaningless. It will also be secured by adopting the following measures.
   1.Provision of minimum wages.
   2.Guarantee of the right to work.
   3.Protecting the workers from unemployment, sickness and other types of insecurity.
   4.Providing adequate leisure.
   5.Giving representation to the workers in the management of the industries.
4. Political liberty :
   Political liberty facilitates the citizens to take part in the political affairs of the state. Laski regarded political liberty as the power to be-active in the affairs of the state. Gilchrist considered that political liberty is synonymous with democracy. Leacock described political liberty as constitutional liberty or liberty to choose one’s own government. Political liberty is confined to the citizens alone. It is positive in nature. Political liberty provides several rights in political matters. These include (i) right to vote, (ii) right to contest as candidates in elections, (iii) right to hold public office, (iv) right to criticism etc. Laski emphasised that political liberty becomes real when there prevails (i) education (ii) honest and impartial press etc. Political liberty will be realized only in a democratic system.
5. National liberty :
   National liberty implies the freedom and independence of the state. It also denotes the sovereignty of the state. Every state enjoys this liberty and remains free from the political domination of other states. This liberty is essential for the progress of nation in all spheres. It was manifested in several countries since ancient period. Many countries made efforts for securing this type of liberty. The Greeks fought a war of independence against the Turks. Similarly the Indian masses under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi waged a non-violent struggle to secure national freedom from the British rule. National liberty is very valuable. Great leaders like Thomas Jefferson emphasised the significance of national liberty.

Question 2.

What do you mean by Liberty? What are the safeguards of Liberty?

Answer:

Introduction :

The concept of Liberty is of great significance in the study of political science. Liberty is an essential condition without which man cannot develop his personality. It became a source of inspiration to the millions of the people living all over the world.

Meaning :

The term liberty is derived from the Latin word ” LIBER” which means free from restrictions.
Definition :
1.“Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seeley
2.“Liberty means the positive power of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying”. – T.H. Green
Safeguards of liberty :
Liberty is the most cherished ideal of human beings. Hence, it must be safeguarded in the larger interest of the society and state. In this context, the following safeguards of liberty are worth mentioning.

1. Democratic rule :
   Democratic rule is considered as a heaven to liberty. Liberty flourishes only in a democratic state. The reason is that democratic state extends protection to individual’s liberties through various laws. It creates a conducive atmosphere for the individuals to enjoy their liberties freely and impartially. It makes the people to participate in the government process directly or indirectly. It makes the people to participate in the governmental process directly or indirectly. It makes the government answerable to the people. It allows the people the right to change the government through public opinion or ballot when the government acts improperly.
2. Written and rigid constitution :
   A written and rigid constitution is considered the most important safeguard of individual liberty. Such a constitution incorporates the various freedoms of individuals in several provisions. It acts as a custodian of people’s rights and liberties. It demarcates the spheres of governmental activity. It mentions about the various measures to be taken in case of people’s freedoms are infringed or confiscated by others including governmental authorities. It also imposes restraints on the political parties by not allowing them to amend the constitutional provisions for furthering their partisan interests.
3. Independent judiciary :
   An independent and impartial judiciary is another safeguard of individual liberty. The judiciary will uphold the constitution and keeps the government accountable to the people. It prescribes various safeguards for protecting the fundamental rights of citizens. The judges in higher courts will deliver justice to the people on fair, free and impartial manner. Prof. Laski, while recognizing this safeguard, stated that good governance depends upon the effective functioning of judiciary.
4. Rule of law :
   Rule of law is another safeguard of liberty. It is prevalent in many states like Britan, India,‘United States etc. Rule of law safeguards individual liberties in three ways. Firstly, it treats all individuals as equal. Secondly, it makes arrangement for the application and enforcement of uniform laws throughout the state. Thirdly, it exercises restraints on the executive against the use of arbitrary powers.
5. Fundamental rights :
   Provision of fundamental rights will safeguard rights to a great extent. Citizens enjoy their liberties without restraints when these rights are enshrined in the constitution. Fundamental rights enable the citizens to develop their talents and realise their personality in various walks of life.
6. Economic equality :
   Economic equality too acts as an important safeguard of individual liberties. It implies provision of adequate conditions for the people to come out of the evil effects of hunger, poverty, and unemployment etc. Liberty becomes real when there exists economic equality Economic equality presupposes economic justice. It is guaranteed by the state. Absence of glaring inequalities is a pre-condition of safeguarding liberty.
7. Decentralization of powers :
   Liberty will be better safeguard through decentralisa-tion of powers. Individuals could enjoy their liberties when the country is free from the centralization of governmental powers and authority. When the powers of the government are allocated among the union, state, and local governments, there arises no scope for despotism arid infringement of individual liberties.
8. Freedom of press :
   Some regarded freedom of press as a safeguard of individual liberty. Individuals could enjoy their liberties when the various agencies of press and other- media have autonomy in their functioning. The press will be able to serve as an important agent for creating, consolidating and expressing public opinion. It, through its impartial editorials and honest presentation of news and views, will be able to safeguard individual liberties.
9. Strong opposition :
   A strong opposition is a necessary condition for promoting individual liberty. The opposition will act as a watchdog of individual liberty. Whenever the party in power or persons at higher levels of government try to subvert or circumscribe the freedoms of individuals by their oppressive and despotic acts and activities through legislation and execution, the opposition will strongly resist such attempts. It, by moving a no-confidence motion in the last resort, will uphold the liberties of the individuals.
10. Eternal vigilance :
    The best safeguard to liberty is the spirit of the people. It is rightly said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”. People must be ready to fight for their liberty. They should- have the courage even to rebel against the government whenever their liberty is curbed by it. In the words of Laski, “It is the proud spirit of the citizens, that is their most real safeguard”.

Question 3.

Explain the relationship between Liberty and Law.

Answer:

Law and Liberty are the two fundamental concepts in political science. These two concepts are interdependent. There is no unanimity of opinion among political philosophers in regard to the relation between Law and Liberty.
There are two different schools which gave contradictory opinions. One school of thought believed that Law and Liberty are antithetical to each other. The other school of thought believed that Law and Liberty are inter-related to each other. Let us explain the two versions.

i) Law. and Liberty are Antithetical :

Individualists like J.S.Mill, Herbert Spencer, David Ricardo, Adam Smith believed that law always restricts the activities of human beings. The state is the principal agency which destroys individual’s liberties. It will not allow the citizens to take active part in the affairs of state and Government. Similarly, it becomes a hurdle in performing the economic activities of the nation. The recent liberalised economic policies in many countries changed the pace of their economies. These policies enabled the people to freely participate in economic activities. Therefore, individualists believed that state is a necessary evil institution. They stated that the government is the best which governs the least. Therefore, law and liberty are antithetical to each other.

ii) Law and Liberty are Complementary :

The socialists and communists believed that Law and Liberty are complementary to each other. They regarded the state as a Welfare agency. Law imposes restrictions essential for the social welfare. It is a fact that the capitalist class exploited the working class. The state shall eradicate the evils of exploitation by making necessary laws.
The idealists believed that state is a Moral Agency. The state represents the general will of the community. Individuals will be free when they obey the laws of the state. Moussolini gave a slogan “Nothing against the State”. Law always protects the interests of the people. Therefore, both the concepts of Law and Liberty are complementary to each other.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1.

Define Liberty arid describe any three types of Liberty.

Answer:

Introduction :

The concept of Liberty is of great significance in the study of political science. Liberty is an essential condition without which man cannot develop his personality. It became a source of inspiration to the millions of the people living all over the world.

Meaning :

The term liberty is derived from the Latin word “LIBER” which means free from restrictions. .
Definitions :
Liberty is defined in many ways by different political thinker. Some of them are cited below :
1.“Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seeley
2.“Liberty is the freedofri of an individual to express without any external hindrance to his personality”. – G.D.H. Cole
3.“Liberty means the positive power of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying”. – TH. Green
4.“Liberty is the eager maintenance of that atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be at their best selves”. – HJ. Laski
Types of Liberty: Liberty is of different types. Some of them may be described in the following :
1.Natural liberty,
2.Civil liberty,
3.Economic liberty,
4.Political liberty
5.National liberty.

1. Natural liberty :
   Natural liberty is understood as uncontrolled freedom or absolute freedom. It is believed that natural liberty existed in the pre-social and pre-state human life. According to this concept there were no rules and regulations except the laws of nature in the past. All persons were free to do anything according to their will and capacity. But this type of liberty is not possible in civilised society, since liberty is a social condition. True liberty does not inconvenience others. Liberty is not a licence. Natural liberty is equal to anarchy. The weak cannot enjoy liberty without law. Some writers imagined that this kind of liberty existed before the origin of state.
2. Civil liberty :
   Civil liberty is also known as personal liberty. It relates to the individual’s freedom in his life as a member of the social organisation. It is enjoyed by the individuals in the society. Civil liberty is the- essential pre-requisite to the existence and survival of human beings. It enables them to lead happy, honourable and civilised life in the state. So it is a must to every one. The state recognises the various freedofns of individuals.
   In this regard Gettle said thus “Civil liberty is the group of rights recognised and implemented by the state”. The constitution of the America and the India have in corporated civil liberty in the form of fundamental rights. .Civil liberty is manifested in several rights. These include A) Right to Life B) Right to Work Q Right to Property D) Right, to Religion E) Right to 1 Speech, Expression, Assembly, Movement and Residence etc.
3. Economic liberty :
   Economic liberty means the right of every one to’ earn his livelihood. Laski described economic liberty as the security and opportunity to find reasonable significance in earning one’s.daily bread. Economic liberty ensures everyone freedom from want and fear, hunger and starvation, unemployment and insufficiency. Economic liberty denotes freedom from want or insecurity of economic nature. Without economic liberty democracy is meaningless. It will.also be secured by adopting the following measures.
   1.Provision of minimum wages.
   2.Guarantee of the right to work.
   3.Protecting the workers from unemployment, sickness and other types of insecurity.
   4.Providing adequate leisure.
   5.Giving representation to, the workers in the management of the industries.

Question 2.

Describe the evolution of the concept of Liberty.

Answer:

Introduction :

The concept of Liberty is of great significance in the study of political science. Liberty is an essential condition without which man cannot develop his personality. It became a source of inspiration to the millions of the people living all over the world.

Meaning :

The term liberty is derived from the Latin word “LIBER” which means free from restrictions.
Definitions :
Liberty is defined in many ways by different political thinkers. Some of them are cited below :
1.“Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seeley
2.“Liberty is the freedom of an individual to express without any external hindrance to his personality”. – G.D.H. Cole
3.“Liberty means the positive power of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying”. – TH. Green
4.“Liberty is the eager maintenance of that atmosphere in which men have the opportunity to be at their best selves”. – H.J. Laski
Types of Liberty :
Liberty is of different types. Some of them may be described in the following :
1.Natural liberty
2.Civil liberty
3.Economic liberty
4.Political liberty
5.National liberty.

1. Natural liberty :
   Natural liberty is understood as uncontrolled freedom or absolute freedom. It is believed that natural liberty existed in the pre-social and pre-state human life. According to this concept there were no rules and regulations except the laws of nature in the past. All persons were free to do anything according to their will arid capacity. But this type of liberty is not possible in civilised society, since liberty is a social condition. True liberty does not inconvenience others. Liberty is not a licence. Natural liberty is equal to anarchy. The weak cannot enjoy liberty without law. Some writers imagined that this kind of liberty existed before the origin of state.
2. Civil liberty :
   Civil liberty is also known as personal liberty. It relates to the individual’s freedom in his life as a member of the social organisation. It is enjoyed by the individuals in the society. Civil liberty is the essential pre-requisite to the existence and survival of human beings. It enables them to lead happy, honourable and civilised life in the state. So it is a must to every one. The state recognises the various freedoms of individuals. In this regard Gettle said thus “Civil liberty is the group of rights recognised and implemented by the state”. The constitution of the America and the India have in corporated civil liberty in the form of fundamental rights. Civil liberty is manifested in several rights. These include A) Right to Life B) Right to Work C) Right to Property D) Right to Religion E) Right to Speech, Expression, Assembly, Movement and Residence etc.
3. Economic liberty :
   Economic liberty means the right of everyone to earn his livelihood. Laski described economic liberty as the security and opportunity to find reasonable significance in earning one’s daily bread. Economic liberty ensures everyone freedom from want and fear, hunger and starvation, unemployment and insufficiency. Economic liberty denotes freedom from want or insecurity of economic nature. Without economic liberty democracy is meaningless. It will also be secured by adopting the following measures.
   1.Provision of minimum wages.
   2.Guarantee of the right to work.
   3.Protecting the workers from unemployment, sickness and other types of insecurity.
   4.Providing adequate leisure.
   5.Giving representation to the workers in the management of the industries.
4. Political liberty :
   Political liberty facilitates the citizens to take part in the political affairs of the state. Laski regarded political liberty as the power to be-active in the affairs of the state. Gilchrist considered that political liberty is synonymous with democracy. Leacock described political liberty as constitutional liberty or liberty to choose one’s own government. Political liberty is confined to the citizens alone. It is positive in nature. Political liberty provides several rights in political matters. These include (i) right to vote, (ii) right to contest as candidates in elections, (iii) right to hold public office, (iv) right to criticism etc. Laski emphasised that political liberty becomes real when there prevails (i) education (ii) honest and impartial press etc. Political liberty will be realized only in a democratic system.
5. National liberty :
   National liberty implies the freedom and independence of the state. It also denotes the sovereignty of the state. Every state enjoys this liberty and remains free from the political domination of other states. This liberty is essential for the progress of nation in all spheres. It was manifested in several countries since ancient period. Many countries made efforts for securing this type of liberty. The Greeks fought a war of independence against the Turks. Similarly the Indian masses under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi waged a non-violent struggle to secure national freedom from the British rule. National liberty is very valuable. Great leaders like Thomas Jefferson emphasised the significance of national liberty.

Question 3.

Explain about any three safeguards of Liberty.

Answer:

Introduction :

The concept of Liberty is of great significance in the study of political science. Liberty is an essential condition without which man cannot develop his personality.
It became a source of inspiration to the millions of the people living all over the world.
Meaning: The term liberty is derived from the Latin word” LIBER” which means free from restrictions. .
Definition :
1) “Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seely
2) “Liberty means the positive power of doing or enjoying something worth doing or enjoying”. -T.H. Green
Safeguards of liberty :
Liberty is the most cherished ideal of human beings. Hence, it must be safeguarded in the larger interest of the society and state. In this context, the following safeguards of liberty are worth mentioning.

1. Democratic rule :
   Democratic rule is considered as a heaven to liberty. Liberty flourishes only in a democratic state. The reason is that democratic state extends protection to individual’s liberties through various laws.. It creates a conducive atmosphere for the individuals to enjoy their liberties freely and impartially. It makes the people to participate in the government process directly or indirectly. It makes the people to participate in the governmental process directly or indirectly. It makes the government answerable to the people. It allows the people the right to change the government through public opinion or ballot when the government acts improperly.
2. Written and rigid constitution :
   A written and rigid constitution is considered the most important safeguard of individual liberty. Such a constitution incorporates the various freedoms of individuals in several provisions. It acts as a custodian of people’s rights and liberties. It demarcates the spheres of governmental activity. It mentions about the various measures to be taken in case of people’s freedoms are infringed or confiscated by others including governmental authorities. It also imposes restraints on the political parties by not allowing them to amend the constitutional provisions for furthering their partisan interests.
3. Independent judiciary :
   An independent and impartial judiciary is another safeguard of individual liberty. The judiciary will uphold the constitution and keeps the government accountable to the people. It prescribes various safeguards for protecting the fundamental rights of citizens. The judges in higher courts will deliver justice to the people on fair, free and impartial manner. Pro. Laski, while recognizing this safeguard, stated that good governance depends upon the effective functioning of judiciary.

Question 4.

What are the. characteristics of Liberty?

Answer:

Meaning :

The term Liberty is derived from the Latin word “LIBER” which means free from restraints.
Definition :
“Liberty means the absence of restraints”. – J.R. Seely
Characteristics of Liberty :
The. following are the important characteristics of Liberty.
1.Liberty is a dynamic concept. Its interpretation varies according to time, place and wishes of the people.
2.Liberty always opposes political subjugation, imprisonment and slavery.
3.It always aims at realizing the aspirations of the individuals.
4.Liberty always means absence of irrational restraints and presence of favourable conditions.
5.It is the product of rights.
6.It is essential for the realization of human personalities.
7.It is found only in democratic states.
8.It is manifest in the form of rights.
9.It does not mean license to do whatever a person wants. It is always subject to limitations.

Question 5.

What do you mean by Civil Liberty?

Answer:

Civil liberty is also known as personal liberty. It relates to the individual’s freedom in his life as a member of the social organisation. It is enjoyed by the individuals in the society. Civil liberty is the essential pre-requisite to the existence and su human beings. It enables them to lead happy, honourable and civilised life in the sta;. Isa must to every one. The state recognises the various freedoms of individuals. In this regard Gettle said thus “Civil liberty is the group of rights recognised and implemented by the state”.

The constitution of the America and the India have in corporated civil liberty in the form of fundamental rights. Civil liberty is manifested in several rights. These include A) Right to Life B) Right to Work Q Right to Property D) Right to Religion E) Right to Speech, Expression, Assembly, Movement and Residence etc.

Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1.

What is negative Liberty?

Answer:

Liberty means absence of restraints or constraints. It is callaed negative liberty.

Question 2.

What is positive Liberty?

Answer:

It is understood as creating necessary conditions and removing all possible constraints for the development of human being by the intervention of the state. It is called as positive liberty.

Question 3.

List out any four characteristics of Liberty.

Answer:

Characteristics of Liberty: The following are the important characteristics of Liberty.
1.Liberty is a dynamic concept. Its interpretation varies according to time, place and wishes of the people.
2.Liberty always opposes political subjugation, imprisonment and slavery.
3.It always aims at realizing the aspirations of the individuals.
4.Liberty always means absence of irrational restraints and presence of favourable conditions.
5.It is the product of rights.

Question 4.

Mention the names of four types of liberty.

Answer:

Liberty is of in the following types namely :
1.Natural liberty
2.Civil liberty
3.Economic liberty
4.Political liberty and
5.National liberty.

Question 5.

What do you mean by Civil Liberty?

Answer:

Civil liberty is also known as personal liberty. It is the essential pre-requisite to the existence and survival of* human beings. It enables them to lead happy, honourable and civilised life in the state. Civil liberty is manifested in several rights like A) Right to Life B) Right to Work C) Right to Property D) Right to Religion E) Right to Speech, Expression, Assembly, Movement and Residence etc.

Question 6.

Write about Political Liberty.

Answer:

Political liberty facilitates the citizens to take part in the political affairs of the state. Political liberty is confined to the citizens alone. Political liberty provides several rights like
1.Right to vote
2.Right to contest as candidates in elections
3.Right to hold public offices
4.Right to criticism etc.

Question 7.

Explain the measures for securing Economic Liberty.

Answer:

It is possible to achieve complete economic liberty if the following measures are taken.
1.Provision of minimum wages.
2.Guarantee of the right to work.
3.Protecting the workers from unemployment, sickness and other types of insecurity.
4.Giving representation to the workers in the management of the industries.

Question 8.

What is Economic Liberty?

Answer:

Economic liberty means the right of every one to earn his livelihood. Economic liberty ensures everyone freedom from want and fear, hunger and starvation, unemployment and insufficiency. It will be secured by adopting the following measures.
1.Provision of minimum wages.
2.Guarantee of the right to work.
3.Protecting the workers from unemployment, sickness and other types of insecurity.
4.Providing adequate leisure etc.

Question 9.

What do you know about National Liberty?

Answer:

National Liberty implies the Freedom and Independence of the state. It also denotes the sovereignty of the state. Every state enjoys this liberty and remains free from the political domination of other states. Ex: The Indian masses under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi waged a non-violent struggle to secure National Freedom from the British Rule.

Question 10.

Mention any four safeguards of Liberty.

Answer:

1.Democratic rule
2.Written and rigid constitution
3.Independent judiciary
4.Rule of law
5.Fundamental rights.

Question 11.

Write about Independent Judiciary as a safeguard of Liberty.

Answer:

Independent judiciary :

An independent and impartial judiciary is another safeguard of individual liberty. The judiciary will uphold the constitution and keeps the government accountable to the people. It prescribes various safeguards for protecting the fundamental rights of citizens. The judges in higher courts will deliver justice to the people on fair, free and impartial manner. Prof. Laski, while recognizing this safeguard, stated that good governance depends upon the effective functioning of judiciary.