Freedom:ContemporaryLiberalPerspectives

Inthisengagingnewbook,KatrinFlikschuhoffersanaccessibleintroductiontodivergentconceptionsoffreedomincontemporaryliberalpoliticalphilosophy.BeginningwithadiscussionofIsaiahBerlin'sseminaldistinctionbetweennegativeandpositiveliberty,thebookgoesontoconsiderGeraldMacCallumsalternativeproposaloffreedomasatriadicconcept.TheabidinginfluenceofBerlin'sargumentonthewritingsofcontemporaryliberalphilosopherssuchasRobertNozick,HillelSteiner,RonaldDworkinandJosephRaz,isfullyexploredinsubsequentchapters.Flikschuhshowsthat,insteadofjustonenegativeandonepositivefreedomtradition,contemporaryliberalthinkersarticulatethemeaningandsignificanceofliberalfreedominmanydifferentandoftenconflictingways.Whatshouldwemakeofsuchdiversityanddisagreement?Shoulditundermineourconfidenceinthecoherenceofliberalfreedom?Shouldwestrivetowardsgreaterconceptualandnormativeunity?Flikschuharguesthatmoralandpoliticaldisagreementaboutfreedomcanoftenbetracedbacktodifferencesinunderlyingmetaphysicalpresuppositionsandcommitments.Yetthesedifferencesdonotshowliberalfreedomdebatestobeconfusedorincoherent.Onthecontrary,theydemonstratethecentralityofthisphilosophicallyelusiveideatothecontinuedvitalityofliberalpoliticalthinking.