Big ideas: Freedom – Aquascript

Resources > Background knowledge

Freedom, what exactly is it? These animations explore Isiah Berlin’s distinction between positive and negative Freedom, J.S. Mill’s thoughts on individual liberty and the state; what neuroscience has to say about the age old philosophical debate about freewill and whether freedom is over-rated as a political, moral and psychological concept.

1. The Free Will Defence: A Good God vs The Problem of Evil
We live in a world festering with evil. How could a good God allow this problem of evil?
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Source: BBC (2014); Open University (2014). History of Ideas. Duration: 01:56

2. Freedom vs Security: Freedom at any cost?
Freedom is good, but security is better. That’s what Thomas Hobbes believed. He made his point by imagining what it would be like to live without government, laws, or society. In this ‘State of Nature’ you could do whatever you wanted to. But anyone else could do whatever they wanted to to you. You’d have plenty of freedom; but you’d live in constant fear. It would be grim.

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Source: BBC (2014); Open University (2014). History of Ideas. Duration: 01:53

3. The Harm Principle: How to live your life the way you want to
In his book On Liberty, John Stuart Mill argues for one simple principle: the Harm Principle. It amounts to this. The state, my neighbors, and everyone else should let me get on with my life as long as I don’t harm anyone in the process.

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