Abstract
Among the five ultimate goals in world politics explored in this book, freedom is the most difficult to define, but it is no less admired or pursued than the other goals. People in different times, different countries, and different positions understand freedom very differently. Nevertheless, however complicated its connotations are, the most basic meaning of freedom is clear: individuals or groups being able to act according to their own will, without being hindered by external factors. This chapter discusses the notion of freedom in relation to political progress, individual freedom and contemporary liberalism.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Ibid.
- 2.
Ibid.
- 3.
Ibid.
- 4.
The original French quote is: “O Liberté, que de crimes son commet en ton nom!”
- 5.
Ibid.
References
Cited in Huizu Wenxue (Hui Literature), 2016(4), 134.
Burke, E.: Reflections on the Revolution in France. Yale University Press, New Haven (2003)
Cohen, S.M., Curd, P., Reeve, C.D.C.: Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Thales to Aristotle, 5th edn. Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis (2016)
Constant, B.: The Liberty of Ancients Compared with That of Moderns (1819). Chinese edition: (trans.) Yan, B., & Liu, M. (2003). : Century Publishing Group, Shanghai
Deng, X.: Take a clear-cut stand against bourgeois liberalization (December 30, 1986). Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping: volume iii (1982–1992). Foreign Languages Press, Beijing (1994) . For electronic version, see https://dengxiaopingworks.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/the-united-states-should-take-the-initiative-in-putting-an-end-to-the-strains-in-sino-american-relations/. Accessed 24 April 2020
Freedom House: Freedom in the world 2020: a leaderless struggle for democracy. Resource document. https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/FIW_2020_REPORT_BOOKLET_Final.pdf (2020). Accessed 1 April 2020
Hardy, H.: Liberty: Isaiah Berlin, Incorporating Four Essays on Liberty. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2002)
Liu, Y.: Details of Democracy. SDX Joint Publishing Company, Shanghai (2009)
Mao, Z.: Combat Liberalism (September 7, 1937). Foreign Languages Press, Beijing (1967)
Mao, Z.: On coalition government. English edition (1961): Selected Works of Mao Zedong, vol. 3, pp. 203–270. Foreign Languages Press, Beijing (1945). Resource document. Wilson Center History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/121326. Accessed 19 March 2020
Mao, Z.: On coalition government. In English edition (1961): Selected Works of Mao Zedong, vol. 3, pp. 203–270. Foreign Language Press, Beijing (1945). Resource document. Wilson Center History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/121326. Accessed 19 March 2020.
Marx, K., Engels, F.: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Collected Works, volume 25: Engels. Lawrence & Wishart, London (1987)
Marx, K., Engels, F., Harvey, D.: Communist Manifesto. Pluto Press, London (2008)
Mill, J.S.: On Liberty. The Floating Press, Auckland (2009)
Miller, D.: Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, New York (2003)
Minogue, K.: Politics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, New York (2000)
Montesquieu, C.: The Spirit of the Laws. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1989)
Popper, K.: The Open Society and Its Enemies (new one-volume edition). Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford (2013)
Sartori, G.: The Theory of Democracy Revisited. Chatham House Publishers, Chatham New Jersey (1987)
Stavrianos, L.S.: A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century, 5th edn. Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey (1990)
The Constitution of the Russian Federation: Resource document. https://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-01.htm (1993) . Accessed 20 March 2020.
The United Nations: The universal declaration of human rights. Resource document. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html (1948). Accessed 20 March 2020
Xu, Z.: Freedom that originates from life. J. Int. Stud. 3, 88–104 (2006)
Yang, Y.: Freedom in the centralized system of ancient China. J. Soc. Sci. 9, 94 (2016)
Yi, L.: The idea of freedom of ancient Greeks. Collect. Pap. Hist. Stud. 2, 98–105 (2004)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 CITIC Press Corporation
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Jisi, W. (2021). Freedom. In: Essential Goals in World Politics . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0562-8_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0562-8_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-0561-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-0562-8
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)