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I suspect that the three most important components of freedom are as follows:
1. Equality under the law
2. No non-consensual interference with an individual's person, property, and agreements except via due process of law, and for this due process to present a high bar
1. Equality under the law
2. No non-consensual interference with an individual's person, property, and agreements except via due process of law, and for this due process to present a high bar
3. Something like the First Amendment to the US Constitution, or more specifically the first three of the five freedoms it protects: religion, speech, press.
This last one in particular is why the US might have *some* claim to be the most free society on earth.
Few (or maybe no) other countries replicate the extent to which the US achieves this.
Few (or maybe no) other countries replicate the extent to which the US achieves this.
France's laïcité and other restrictions are a notable example of this, but are fairly typical for continental Europe.
And even though Britain is relatively good on this meausure, it has eg imprisoned Holocaust deniers: https://lawandreligionuk.com/2019/02/15/is-holocaust-denial-a-crime-in-england-and-wales-no-but-see-r-v-chabloz/
(Her conviction has been upheld 2x)
And even though Britain is relatively good on this meausure, it has eg imprisoned Holocaust deniers: https://lawandreligionuk.com/2019/02/15/is-holocaust-denial-a-crime-in-england-and-wales-no-but-see-r-v-chabloz/
(Her conviction has been upheld 2x)
Britain also lacks the constitutional guarantee of these rights, and so even to the extent we enjoy them their security is far more flimsy here.
Note that what I am suggesting are the three most important components of freedom aren't the whole story.
Firstly, achieving and maintaining them requires a whole host of social and political arrangements. It isn't sufficient to merely have a piece of paper protecting them!
Firstly, achieving and maintaining them requires a whole host of social and political arrangements. It isn't sufficient to merely have a piece of paper protecting them!
Secondly, these three components might be the most important ones, but they are by no means the only ones.
But I leave it to the reader to discern what other components might be: I don't think there are many (or perhaps any) clear answers here.
But I leave it to the reader to discern what other components might be: I don't think there are many (or perhaps any) clear answers here.
Finally, freedom need not be our sole political value, or even one which imposes inviolable side-constraints on the pursuit of other values.
There may be things that we can and should trade it off against.
There may be things that we can and should trade it off against.
A thread on the British Holocaust denial case referenced above: https://twitter.com/Evollaqi/status/1334836430359719948?s=19