Two conferences on freedom

Benjamin Constant, Isaiah Berlin and their enemies (notes to understand the meaning of freedom)

Abstract

From the ambiguity of the synthesis category democratic rule of law, this article intends to clarify the modern sense of freedom, having as a parameter four meanings, two formulated by Isaiah Berlin and two by Benjamin Constant: positive liberty, negative liberty, liberty of the ancients and liberty of the moderns. The research is strictly bibliographical, focused, above all, on the exegesis of the two classic conferences given by each of the two authors mentioned above. In the end, it refutes the impression of common sense that identifies the positive freedom with the freedom of the ancients and the negative freedom with the freedom of the modern ones, as well as it demonstrates the impossibility of the Democratic State of Law category to synthesize in a balanced way the democratic and liberal elements.