Hannah Ardent Freedom Definition
The notion of freedom is inherently abstract, “Freedom” and what it means to be a free individual has been debated by many academic scholars for decades; because what it means to be free changes with time. It’s not a definition that stays constant but rather malleable, and open to a variety of opinions. What does freedom encompass? What does it mean to be free? Isiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty and Hannah Ardent’s Freedom and Politics both attempt to give a definition to freedom and what it means to be free. Isaiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty gives an answer to these question, by dividing freedom into “negative” and “positive” freedom. (Berlin, 1958) This segregation of freedom is meant to be representative of the different ways
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Ardent defines freedom as political action. (Ardent,1960) In her definition the only way to be free is to be politically active; since no freedom can be exercised if action is not a criterion. (Ardent,1960) She states that political freedom appears when we interact with each other, which in turn generated a political environment and results in the discussion of politics. (Sonie, Class Notes) To be free is to be active and to not be free is a form of individual isolation. (Ardent,1960) Freedom is something we can observe and act upon therefore freedom cannot exist on its own, it needs to be called into being as an act of creation. (Ardent,1960) She introduces the concept of the “public realm” and the “private realm”. The public realm is the area that political freedom can be exercised much like the Athenian did in ecclesia (Ardent,1960), she states that there has to be a public realm or "freedom lacks the worldly space to make its appearance" (Ardent,1960, pg. 30). The private realm is private life and political freedom cannot exist in the private realm because freedom needs to be public. Overall, Ardent summarizes freedom as a public political action and political action puts into motion something that didn’t exist prior to it being called upon.
Ardent defines freedom as political action. (Ardent,1960) In her definition the only way to be free is to be politically active; since no freedom can be exercised if action is not a criterion. (Ardent,1960) She states that political freedom appears when we interact with each other, which in turn generated a political environment and results in the discussion of politics. (Sonie, Class Notes) To be free is to be active and to not be free is a form of individual isolation. (Ardent,1960) Freedom is something we can observe and act upon therefore freedom cannot exist on its own, it needs to be called into being as an act of creation. (Ardent,1960) She introduces the concept of the “public realm” and the “private realm”. The public realm is the area that political freedom can be exercised much like the Athenian did in ecclesia (Ardent,1960), she states that there has to be a public realm or "freedom lacks the worldly space to make its appearance" (Ardent,1960, pg. 30). The private realm is private life and political freedom cannot exist in the private realm because freedom needs to be public. Overall, Ardent summarizes freedom as a public political action and political action puts into motion something that didn’t exist prior to it being called upon.