two concepts of liberty(两种自由概念英语版)

READING1

‘T wo C on ce pts o f Libe rty’

I s aiah Be rl i n

I s aiah Be r li n’s e ss a y‘T wo C on ce pts o f Libe rty’*i s on e o f t he m ost

im port a nt p iece s o f post-w a r po li t ical p hil osop h y.I t w a s or igi n all y gi v e n

a s a lec tur e i n O x f or d i n1958a n d ha s bee n m u ch di s c uss ed s i n ce t he n.I n

t hi s e xtr ac t f ro m t he lec tur e Be r li n ide nt ifie s t he two diffe r e nt c on ce pts

o f f r eed o m–n ega t i v e a n d pos i t i v e–w hich prov ide t he f r ame wor k f or hi s

w ide-r a n gi n g di s c uss i on.Nega t i v e f r eed o m i s,rou ghl y,a ma tt e r o f w hich

d oors li

e op e n to you,i t i s c on ce rn ed e x cl us i v el y w i t h opportun i t ie s;

pos i t i v e f r eed o m i s a qu e st i on o f w he t he r or not you ca n g o t h rou gh t he

d oors,w h

e t he r you a r e ma st e r o

f your life.Be r li n po i nts out t ha t

hi stor icall y t he c on ce pt o f pos i t i v e f r eed o m ha s bee n us ed to c ontro l a n d

r e pr e ss i n di v id u al s i n t he n ame o f libe rty.

I

T o c o e r ce a m a n i s to de pr i v e hi m o f f r eed om–f r eed om f rom w ha t?A lmost

e v e ry mor a l i st i n h um a n hi story ha s pr ai s ed

f r eed om.Like ha pp i n e ss a n d

g oo d n e ss,l ike n a tur e a n d r ea l i ty,t he m ea n i n g o f t hi s t e rm i s so porous t ha t

t he r e i s l i ttl e i nt e rpr e t a t i on t ha t i t s ee ms ab l e to r e s i st.I d o not propos e to

di s c uss ei t he r t he hi story or t he mor e t ha n two h un d r ed s e ns e s o f t hi s prot ea n

wor d,r ec or ded b y hi stor ia ns o f idea s.I propos e to e x a m i n e no mor e t ha n two

o f t he s e s e ns e s–b ut t h os e ce ntr a l on e s,w i t h a g r ea t dea l o f h um a n hi story

behi n d t he m,a n d,I da r e s a y,st i ll to c om e.The fi rst o f t he s e pol i t ica l s e ns e s o f

f r eed om or l ibe rty(I s ha ll us e b ot h wor d s to m ea n t he s a m e),w hich(f ollow i n g

mu ch pr ecede nt)I s ha ll ca ll t he‘n ega t i v e’s e ns e,i s i nvolv ed i n t he a nsw e r to t he

qu e st i on‘Wha t i s t he a r ea w i t hi n w hich t he su bjec t–a p e rson or g roup o f

p e rsons–i s or s h oul d be l ef t to d o or be w ha t he i s ab l e to d o or be,w i t h out

i nt e r fe r e n ce b y ot he r p e rsons?’The s ec on d,w hich I s ha ll ca ll t he pos i t i v e

s e ns e,i s i nvolv ed i n t he a nsw e r to t he qu e st i on‘Wha t,or w h o,i s t he sour ce o f

c ontrol or i nt e r fe r e n ce,t ha t ca n de t e rm i n e som e on e to

d o,or be,on

e t hi n g

r a t he r t ha n a not he r?’The two qu e st i ons a r e c l ea rly diffe r e nt,e v e n t h ou gh t he

a nsw e rs to t he m m a y ov e rl a p.

155