Project

[bataille]

I'm considering updating my thesis on American political discourse, in case I should ever want to use it to continue research in grad school. I'm curious to know how a few words affect people. If you'd like, I'd appreciate short definitions of the following words.

Freedom

Liberty

Terrorism

Comments

[stopevilrobots]

To be able to live your life as you see fit, without impinging on others' lives by doing so or being directly governed by others, would be freedom to me.

Liberty, I guess, is similarly termed in my mind; however, one or the other would be deliverance from tyrannical circumstances.

Terrorism, in its basest definition, would be harm to others by instilling fear, whether it be brought about physically or psychologically.

[zazen47]

I tend to use Isaiah Berlin's view of positive and negative liberty to describe 'freedom' and 'liberty' respectively. Meaning:

Freedoms are specifically granted rights granted to and individual, intended to allow them to be more free in thier actions, speech, etc.

Liberties are rights, often assumed or unstated but not universally, which allow one to act freely without impediment.

Liberty is then an absence of something, whereas freedom is the presence of something... in order to free action of an individual.

I'm certain I'm missing elments of a full description, but that's it in my own words.

Terrorism? I'll take my definition from Internation Relations-
1) Distinct from assisination, etc.
2) Defined by not by goals, but by method:
a) A deliberate targeting of civilians
b) To generate fear
c) Purpose is political