Berlin’s negative freedom and the conceptual work of the boundaries of liberty

Berlin’s negative freedom is a conceptual masterpiece, even if imperfect. Berlin defines negative freedom not only as against positive freedom, but also as against other values. In fact, the arguments distinguishing negative freedom from positive and those distinguishing it from other values are very similar. Berlin’s most famous definition of negative freedom is that of ‘non-interference’. Negative freedom, he repeatedly states, should be understood as ‘liberty from ’, as ‘absence of interference’, as lack of ‘deliberate interference of other human beings’. Berlin believes that socioeconomic conditions should not play a part in defining the meaning of negative liberty. Political negative freedom is the freedom concept which leading strands of contemporary political theory such as republicanism and the capability approach aim to articulate. It represents the freedom which political institutions should ideally guarantee.