- 27 Jan 2017 17:24
#14768652
I'm going to start by assuming those reading know that negative liberalism is letting people live without getting in their way while positive liberalism is enabling people to actualize their potential. If you don't know how this works in detail, then look it up. You can even start reading here if you want: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/libe ... -negative/
The problem with dividing these two concepts is they ignore higher-order implications. In a negative liberty world, non-interference in the moment leads to people interfering in other people's lives over time. In a positive liberty world, enabling people to actualize their potential comes at the expense of others actualizing their potential. In a negative liberty world, people can concoct plots and develop talents with malicious intent. In a positive liberty world, there's an unavoidable tradeoff that takes place between those who actualize and those who don't.
In order for these problems to be addressed, liberalism has to incorporate harmony into its paradigm. People must simultaneously actualize their potential together in cooperation. People must also not interfere in each other's lives. That means positive liberalism must account for non-interference, and negative liberalism must account for enabling people to actualize their potential. Positive liberals must take a mutually respectful understanding of how people come into their being such that everyone strives to become elite, and negative liberals must realize that non-interference only works to the point of specific lifestyle designs. However, there must be general ideas that pervade society so non-interference remains.
The problem with dividing these two concepts is they ignore higher-order implications. In a negative liberty world, non-interference in the moment leads to people interfering in other people's lives over time. In a positive liberty world, enabling people to actualize their potential comes at the expense of others actualizing their potential. In a negative liberty world, people can concoct plots and develop talents with malicious intent. In a positive liberty world, there's an unavoidable tradeoff that takes place between those who actualize and those who don't.
In order for these problems to be addressed, liberalism has to incorporate harmony into its paradigm. People must simultaneously actualize their potential together in cooperation. People must also not interfere in each other's lives. That means positive liberalism must account for non-interference, and negative liberalism must account for enabling people to actualize their potential. Positive liberals must take a mutually respectful understanding of how people come into their being such that everyone strives to become elite, and negative liberals must realize that non-interference only works to the point of specific lifestyle designs. However, there must be general ideas that pervade society so non-interference remains.