ABSTRACT
This chapter reveals two fundamental flaws of the negative view and discuss how they are remedied by the positive view. Firstly, assuming a sharp distinction between unfreedom and inability leads the negative view to disregard social and economic constraints on freedom, and identify freedom merely with the non-violation of civil rights. However, positive freedom as the power for self-determination has both political conditions and economic conditions. Secondly, concentrating exclusively on freedom of action, without acknowledging that some actions are more significant than others, the negative view fails to explain the overall freedom of a person. The chapter focuses on the internal debate between three versions of the positive view, as defended by Norman, Gould and Macpherson. It presents the consensus between these three thinkers about the social conditions of positive freedom, in so far as they emphasize the link between freedom, equality and democracy.
