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The Secret Link between Economic and Political Freedom: Are they really interdependent?
In today's political and social discussions, the two concepts of "economic freedom" and "political freedom" are often mentioned, but there are few in-depth discussions.Economic freedom usually refers to the ability to control economic resources owned by an individual or a group, while political freedom refers to the ability of people to exercise their rights without oppression in social life.The relationship between the two is complicated, and many scholars and thinkers have made different discussions on this.
Political freedom is described as freedom away from oppression or coercion, and individual actions must be free from all obstacles.
From a historical perspective, the concept of political freedom can be traced back to ancient Greek political thought.Hannah Arendt believes that freedom and political action have been inseparable since ancient times.The practice of politics requires people to release the necessity of life in order to participate in political affairs.In her view, freedom is closely related to the nature of political behavior, and this connection was later ignored.
The concept of freedom has been linked to Christian freedom of will or inner freedom in the 5th century AD.
However, some of the many understandings of freedom are economically based.Milton Friedman emphasized in Capitalism and Freedom that there is no real political freedom without economic freedom.He believes that economic rights are closely related to political rights, and the loss of economic freedom will inevitably lead to the reduction of political freedom.This view has sparked widespread discussion, especially in the context of the growing pressures brought about by the concentration and inequality of social capital today.
However, not all scholars support this view.Many critics point out that the exercise of economic freedom often violates the freedom of others.As Robin Hahnel explores in his article How the Market Destruction, when an individual exercises his economic freedom, it will inevitably have an impact on the freedom of others.Such infringement may be resolved through a set of property rights systems, but these property rights systems are often unquestioned and cannot truly reflect the needs and values of society.
The exercise of economic freedom often leads to violations of other freedoms, and such conflicts require a re-evaluation of the existing property rights system.
With the rise of social movements, the understanding of political freedom has gradually expanded to the level of inclusion and diversity.Social anarchists believe that political freedom includes both negative freedom (freedom away from constraints) and positive freedom (freedom that enables individuals to realize their potential).This understanding of freedom requires taking into account the interdependence relationship in society, which also makes the concept of freedom richer and more complex.
On the other hand, environmentalists criticized economic freedom, believing that freedom should not come at the cost of harming the ecology.They argue that so-called freedom should not include freedom to pollute or destroy the ecosystem, and that such behaviors will infringe on the rights of others.This shows that the contradiction between the pursuit of freedom and environmental protection is sometimes particularly sharp in advertising and political debates.
The category of political freedom should include some constraints on the ecosystem, and behaviors that do not allow damage to the natural environment to be regarded as freedom.
When exploring the relationship between economic freedom and political freedom, we should also think about how to prevent infringement on the freedom of others while ensuring economic freedom.In this process, can we find a balance that allows these two freedoms to complement each other and promote each other, becoming the cornerstone of a healthy democratic society?
As society continues to progress, the connection between economic freedom and political freedom will become increasingly obvious.Should we also strengthen our attention and guarantee for political freedom while pursuing economic growth?
