What is Liberty? Difference between negative and the positive Liberty PSIR UPSC

 Liberty: 

                            Liberty is one of the central concept of a political theory it was defined in multiple ways there is a no universal meaning of the Liberty it was the defined from a various perspective broader division of Liberty is as positive liberty and the negative liberty.

Negative liberty:

                                 Negative liberty was defined absence of restraints the classical defence of a negative liberty remains in a Berlin's book "Two concept of Liberty" Berlin defined being free as not be interfered by other the wider area of a non interference the wider my freedom. Berlin rejected the idea of state interference by arguing that state can only protect Negative Liberty of the people. Positive Liberty completely in the hand of person itself.

Berlin argues that "Liberty in it negative sense is principally concerned with the area of control not with its source...There is no necessary connection between individually liberty and democratic rule".

For Hobbes "Liberty is absence of external impedance".

Hobbes clearly differentiated between liberty and ability his argument is condition of a freedom is related to silence of law not to judging capability of person .

If a person not be able to fly it is not the case of absence of freedom but the lack of capacity.

And other classical defence of a negative liberty was J.S. Mill in his book "On Liberty" he argued human being can evolve their highest self with absence of restriction, the only domain where is state should interfere which impact other people.

Mill clearly argued state shoud not intervene in a self regarded domain because this is the domain of self liberty.

He supported negative liberty on the ground that it help in unfolding of a human being personality.

Positive Liberty: 

                                      If the advocate of Negative Liberty look to protect the area where no intervention of a state is the right way of display of personality , in a similar way supporter of positive Liberty argued that capacity is essentially connected with Liberty of the people for them positively body is the ability to act in a way that allows a person to pursue their goal and interest while considering the limitation imposed by various institute and structure of the society.

Positive liberty means free from internal as well as external restriction but state intervention help to remove internal restriction. Supporter of Positive Liberty argued that restriction imposed by state is only to promote Liberty. Advocates of a positive Liberty argues that Liberty is in the context of society means it should consolidate social bonds and interpersonal relation that is why state should intervene to ensure balance.

Positive liberty is not arbitrary liberty it is the domain of constructive liberty state should play positive role in a determining positive role of liberty that is why state should be allowed to regulate liberty.