Freedom, Action and Politics. A Critique of Hannah Arendt's Concept of Freedom from Isaiah Berlin

Abstract

This discussion is a critical approach from the political liberalism to Hannah Arendt’s concept of freedom. This approach is specifically founded on Isaiah Berlin’s work and more particularly on his distinction between negative and positive liberty. In the first place, the article describes Arendt’s concept of freedom; then, the berlinian distinction between the two concepts of liberty is stated in order to formulate a critique from the latter to the former. This critical approach shows that Arendt’s concept of freedom is especially problematic in relation to two categories: action and politics. Finally, the scope and limitations of this concept in political theory are considered from the liberal critique point of view.