ABSTRACT
Freedom is a basic political right that is today valued not only by democratic governments but also by international organizations such as the United Nations that have unfree as well as free countries as members. But what is freedom? And how much freedom is there around the world today? The persisting debate about the meaning of freedom – or liberty, a word often used interchangeably – shows that freedom is a valued symbol. But the multiple uses of the word among philosophers causes confusion.
