The Trap: What Happened to Our Dreams of Freedom? Part 3
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Stumble ThisThe final programme focuses on the concepts of positive and negative liberty introduced in the 1950s by Isaiah Berlin. Curtis briefly explained how negative liberty could be defined as freedom from coercion, and positive liberty as the opportunity to strive to fulfill one's potential. Tony Blair had read Berlin's essays on the topic, and wrote to him in the late 1990s, arguing that positive and negative liberty could be mutually compatible. He never received a reply, as Berlin was on his deathbed.
Really, I think the war in Iraq has served as whipping post for those that don't wish us to pursue positive liberty. They can point to Iraq and say "Look, see what happens when use violence to try to achieve liberty? You end up with chaos and radical religious sects. Nothing good could ever come of that. Don't rise up, go shopping, you'll feel better!"
Watching this, it was almost immediately obvious to me that there was a problem with Berlin's ideas. In peace theory, there are also positive and negative definitions. Negative peace is simply the absence of violent modes of conflict. Positive peace is a situation where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential. I learned long ago that you don't define something by what it is not. When Berlin ascribed to that school of thought, I knew he was off track. SO, just like liberty, the negative definition of peace is too short-sighted. There is also a similarity between the positive definitions: they are both vague and can be misinterpreted. But the beauty of both positive liberty and positive peace is that they both encourage a change in people and society. Ultimately, if that change is good or bad can not be known but it is preferable to the inertia offered by the negative definitions.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8349032228301471543&q=the+trap+duration%3Along
Here is Part 2
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7849982478877371384&q=the+trap+duration%3Along
I'm intriqued and will watch it on You Tube.