西方政治思想史上的自由概念

The Concepts of Freedom in the History of West Politics Theory

在西方政治思想史上,自由是被人们讨论最多的概念之一。但对于什么是自由,众说纷纭。对之进行梳理,可以归纳出四种主要的自由概念:自由是一种免于强制的状态;自由是参与公共事务的权利;自由是一种精神状态,主要表现为对欲望的克制;自由是一种能力,特别是与必然有关的能力——或是对必然的认识,或是对必然的改造,或独立于必然。上述自由概念从不同的角度揭示了自由,但政治学意义上的自由主要包括前两种。

In the history of west politics theory, freedom is one of the most concepts talked by people. However, there is no agreement in that what is freedom. Combing them, we can induce four main freedom concepts： freedom is a state that one is exempt from coercion; freedom is the rights of participating public affaires; freedom is a sprite state, which embodies mainly restraining desire; freedom is ability, especially relating with certainty, recognizing, reforming, or being independent of certainly. These freedom concepts reveal freedom from different view, but freedom in politics should include the first two concepts.