The Liberty Reader

The quest for liberty has driven political movements across the globe, inspiring revolutions in America, France, China and many other countries over the centuries. Even today, Western governments justify their military interventions in the name of promoting freedom. But what is this liberty that is so fervently pursued? Does it mean a private space for individuals, the capacity for free and rational choice, or collective self-rule? What is the difference between positive and negative liberty, or the relationship between freedom and coercion? Reflecting on these questions reveals a surprisingly rich landscape of ideas, as well as further questions. The Liberty Reader, edited and introduced by the distinguished political philosopher Professor David Miller, collects some of the most important and insightful essays written in the past century by philosophers, political theorists and other thinkers who have reflected on the nature of liberty and how to achieve it.The essays have been