Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Learn the difference between negative liberty and positive liberty in this 5:58 minute video lesson.

We often think of freedom as being able to act without restraints. But as one’s freedom can affect the freedom of another, acting without restraint usually creates problems. To prevent that, we create rules. Philosopher Isaiah Berlin went one step further and distinguished two types of freedom: negative liberty, the absence of constraints, and positive liberty, the power to act regardless of limitations.

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This video was made with the support of our Patrons: Adam Berry, Alex Rodriguez, Andrea Basillio Rava, Anil Raut, ArkiTechy, Artur, azad bel, Badrah, Cedric.Wang, Christoph Becker, David Markham, Delandric Webb, Dexter, Digital INnov8ors, Dr. Matthias Müller-Mellin, Duane Bemister, Elias Reuss, Eva Marie Koblin, Fatenah G Issa, Frari63, Gerry Labelle, Harmoniac Design, ICH KANN DEUTSCH UND ES WAR EINFACH!, Izzy, Jannes Kroon, Jeffrey Cassianna, Jim Pilgrim, Joanne Doyle, John Burghardt, Jorge Luis Mejia Velazquez, jun omar ebdane, Khadijah Sellers, Leonel, Liam Dalling, Linda Kinkead, Linus Linderoth, Lucia Simone Winston, Mambo no 9, Marcel, María, martin, Mathis Nu, Max 707, Mezes.Macko, Michael Brown, Michael Paradis, Natalie O’Brien, Okan Elibol, Oweeda Newton, Patricia Labovszky, Peihui, Povilas Ambrasas, Raymond Fujioka, Roel Vermeulen, Scott Gregory, scripz, Sebastian Huaytan Meder, Si, Solongo Ganbat, Stefan Gros, Stephen Clark, Stuart Bishop, Taka Kondo, Takashi HIROSE, Thomas Aschan, Victor Paweletz, Yassine Hamza, Yvonne Clapham and all the others. Thank you! To join them visit patreon.com/sprouts

COLLABORATORS
Script: Karl von Luckwald
Editor: Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Matt Abbott
Coloring: Sasalux
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda
Production: Selina Bador
Fact-checking: Ludovico Saint Amour Di Chanaz

SOUNDTRACKS
Nice Toys - Studio Le Bus
Cheeky Plum Fairy - Shaun Frearson
The Haunted Manor - HWIYO
Magical Keys - Studio Le Bus

DIG DEEPER with these top videos, games and resources:
Read about freedom in philosophy
philosophynow.org/issues/143/What_is_Freedom

Read about the thoughts of Locke on Freedom
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-freedom/

Read more about the Two Concepts of Liberty
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/

SOURCES
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Berlin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Concepts_of_Liberty
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_liberty

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Visit our website to get access to suggested activity for your classroom on this topic!

CHAPTER
00:00 Introduction to two concepts of liberty
00:50 Negative liberty
02:39 Positive liberty
04:06 Clash of ideologies
04:39 What do you think?
04:59 Patrons credit
05:07 Ending

#sproutsschools #freedom #philosophy #sociology #isaiah