Civil liberties

Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may include the freedom of conscience, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, the right to security and liberty, freedom of speech, the right to privacy, the right to equal treatment under the law and due process, the right to a fair trial, and the right to life. Other civil liberties include the right to own property, the right to defend oneself, and the right to bodily integrity. Within the distinctions between civil liberties and other types of liberty, distinctions exist between positive liberty/positive rights and negative liberty/negative rights.

Libertarians advocate for the negative liberty aspect of civil liberties, emphasizing minimal government intervention in both personal and economic affairs. Influential advocates of this interpretation include John Stuart Mill, whose work On Liberty argues for the protection of individual freedoms from government encroachment, and Friedrich Hayek, whose The Road to Serfdom warns against the dangers of expanding state power.[1][2] Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Ron Paul's The Revolution: A Manifesto further emphasize the importance of safeguarding personal autonomy and limiting government authority.[3][4] These contributions have played a significant role in shaping the discourse on civil liberties and the appropriate scope of government.

  1. ^ Mill, John Stuart (1978-04-01). On Liberty. Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60384-617-2.
  2. ^ Hayek, Friedrich (1944). The Road to Serfdom (PDF). George Routledge & Sons. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "The great stagnation". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  4. ^ "Ron Paul's 'Revolution' : NPR". NPR. 2024-09-12. Archived from the original on 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-12.