The Meaning of Freedom in Public Discourse
29 Pages Posted: 10 Nov 2014
Date Written: November 9, 2014
Abstract
A fundamental purpose of science and democracy is to enrich our lives by working together to achieve shared goals. To work together, we must be able to communicate with clear, shared definitions for the words we use. Freedom is one of the key words used in political science and public policy discussions. However, freedom is a nebulous term. This paper examines the meaning of freedom in public life in the United States. It is based on a sample of 200 mentions of freedom in newspapers around the country. In the paper, we argue that people erroneously use freedom when they actually are referring to other political values. We also suggest that the misuse of freedom undermines efforts to realize those other values.
Keywords: freedom, democracy, political theory
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