Political Science 5 Marks Question

Freedom of expression means the free flow of ideas by word and image. To add to this further:

1. It is a right of non-interference by the state.
2. It is a fundamental value and hence, society must be willing to hear some inconvenience also to protect it from people whosoever wants to restrict it.

Reasonable restrictions on freedom of expression:

1. At various times the demands have been raised to ban books, plays, films and academic articles, blogs, etc.
2. Freedom has been classified as positive and negative liberty which requires some justifiable constraints only.
3. But those constraints are supported by the people, and moral arguments.

• Social constraints are the external controls on individual freedom maintained by the society.
• The government, as a part of the society, controls individual freedom through laws that embodies the power of the government and are legitimatised.
• Constraints on freedom are also a result of social inequality.

Yes, constraints are essential to enjoy freedom.

• Constraints are necessary to develop respect for views and beliefs of others.
• It is necessary for the creation of a society.
• Absence of constraint would lead to imposition of beliefs and ideas of stronger groups eventually leading to conflict.
• Constraints are required to control violence and settle disputes.

• The state upholds the freedom of its citizens by providing certain rights to them.
• The state maintains ‘justifiable constraints’ or reasonable restrictions on people so that they cannot harm others and their freedom.
• It provides positive liberty to its citizens to enable them to expand their ability and talent.
• It defines and checks ‘other regarding’ actions of its people in order to maintain social stability.

• Freedom is a situation that limits the constraints on individuals and allows them to expand their ability and reach their potential.
• Freedom allows the full development of an individual’s creativity, sensibility, capabilities and the autonomy to make choices.
• It permits the individuals to exercise their power of reason and judgement.

Yes, there is a relationship between freedom for the individual and freedom for the nation.

• A free nation allows the full development of individual’s talent and ability by making fewer constraints on individuals.
• An individual is said to be free only if she/ he resides in a free nation.
• A nation is said to be free if it has freedom as one of its principles and only if it has provided this to its people. In this way, individual freedom and national freedom are closely linked together.

Liberty is understood in two different ways-Negative and positive aspects of liberty. Negative conception of liberty:

1. It implies the absence of restraints and rights to do whatever one likes.
2. This conception may make the powerful person more powerful to keep the weaker ones on their mercy.

Following are the drawbacks of Negative conception of liberty:

1. Liberty is concerned with the area control, not with its source; hence this is not necessary to have democracy to enjoy freedom.
2. The state should control the liberty of an individual only upto the limit where he interferes in other’s such liberty.

Positive conception of Liberty:

• It refers to the society in which adequate facilities are available for each and every section of society to enjoy desirable rights.
• In brief it means the enjoyment of certain important rights such as freedom of life, freedom of thought and freedom to worship, etc.
• This believes that any individual or section should not hinder the progress of others.
• People can enjoy all freedom which are permissible by laws.
• In ensures the growth of poor, weak and downtrodden people also.
• It interprets that liberty lies in the removal of hindrances.