Liberty
The word liberty when used alone, has several possible meanings in the English language see Liberty disambiguation for other possible uses.
Liberty, or personal freedom, is a condition in which an individual has immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority.
Human condition
From the Latin libertas (liber; meaning free), liberty is a human condition of the freeman and is the freedom from restraint (as in a state of political independence). It is a personal freedom from servitude. Liberated people are not in confinement or oppression. Freeman declare themselves independent of the authority of unjust powers and explain their justifications for doing so. The Declaration of independence of the American colonies was an example of this (September 3, 1783; Treaty of Paris). The United States, to secure the blessings of liberty, established the Constitution for the United States of America.
Western civilization
The Enlightenment reasoned the assertion that law governed both heavenly and human affairs, and that law gave the king his power, rather than the king's power giving force to law. The conception of law as a relationship between individuals, rather than families, came to the fore, and with it the increasing focus on individual liberty as a fundamental reality, given by "Nature and Nature's God", which, in the ideal state, would be as expansive as possible. The Enlightenment created then, among other ideas, liberty: that is, of a free individual being most free within the context of a state which provides stability of the laws. Later, more radical philosophies articulated themselves in the course of the French Revolution and in the Nineteenth Century.
The first half of the 19th century for Western civilization was marked by a series of turbulent wars and revolutions, which gradually formed into an idea and doctrine now identified as individual liberty. The chief philosophical ground for "Liberty" has been the idea of human rights ? that human beings are too valuable to be in slavery, as well as the idea that human beings ought to control their own destiny. Much of this philosophy stems from religious views, although Christians, Jews and Muslims have all practiced slavery in the past.
See also: John Locke, Free spirit, Libre
Eastern civilization
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Middle Eastern civilization
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Political thought
Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defence of individual liberty as the purpose of government. It typically favours the right to dissent from orthodox tenets or established authorities in political or religious matters. The word "liberal" derives from the Latin. Since the word "liberalism" ranges from being highly complimentary to a term of abuse, the connotations of the word in different languages can be starkly different. Individualists, such as Max Stirner, demanded the utmost respect for the liberty of the individual. From a very similar perspective from North America, primitivists like John Zerzan proclaimed that civilization ? not just the state ? would need to be abolished to foster liberty. David Hume wrote "Of Civil Liberty", in his book "Essays Moral and Political" (first ed. 1741-2) Some see protecting the ideal of liberty as a conservative policy, because this would conform to the spirit of individual liberty that they consider at the American foundation.
See also: Libertarians, Positive liberty, Negative liberty
Phrases
Liberty can refer to various concept of freedom.
Statues and monuments
The American concept of liberty has a female embodiment, which is the Statue of Liberty. The copper statue of the goddess of Liberty was a present by France, as a centennial gift to the US and a sign of friendship between the two nations. The pedestal was constructed by the United States. The Statue of Liberty is often used as a symbol that ideals of the United States. In a more general sense, the Statue of Liberty is used to represent liberty in general and is a favored symbol of libertarians.
The Liberty Memorial is dedicated to World War I and World War II victories for liberty against the Axis.
See also: Liberty (as a goddess; she is the personification of liberty).
Naval
In Navies, Liberty can mean a salior, mariner, or naval officer that is granted "leave" from his post at the base.
Interpersonal relationships
During Interpersonal relationships, Liberty, connotates that an individual's behavior is of undue intimacy. The 2003 United States Supreme Court Lawrence v. Texas case (number 02-102) decided by a 6-3 ruling that intimate consensual sexual conduct was part of the liberty protected by substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment.
