Nostr Web Client

Watched another Adam Curtis documentary called the Trap. The trap being a concept of liberty called "negative liberty."

It's a difficult concept for me to explain but negative liberty is the idea there should be no restrictions on ones life. This is I think, the ideals of many here.

Positive liberty, is, well, I don't have a good grasp on it, seems to be more about the idea of being free to choose a path that pursues a goal or a purpose. So it's less about a concept of complete lack of restrictions.

This might be the difference I'm noticing in the podcasting 2.0 community versus the pure bitcoin community. The former seems to focus more on a positive, purpose driven community.

The later seems to be a loose collection of people who don't want things in their way.

Both of these characterizations are not completely true however.

The film really makes you question if negative liberty is a good thing or not though. I'd recommend this film to everyone here.

These documentaries were recommended to me by Amir Taaki, which I find interesting given his current projects.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Monkey Pox Denier 11mo ago

It's easy.

Positive liberty: "The right to ..."

Negative liberty: "No obligation to ..."

Negative liberties are all you need.

Positive liberties are needed when you don't have the negative lberty. (Gouverments laws apply only, if you don't have the negative liberty to ignore them. Then you need positive liberty to protect your "right to...")

StevenB 11mo ago

I haven't watched the documentary, but you recommend it, so I'm going to watch it. I highly value your insights.

I use the analogy of playing the piano when describing why I impose boundaries with my children, and how those boundaries lead to their freedom.

My seven year old 'plays' the piano very freely. All over the place, no restraint, can do anything she wants. Can play with her feet or hands, doesn't really matter, it all has the same discordance She has ultimate freedom do whatever she wants, and she create chaos.

Now, take a maestro. He has many boundaries; knows all the rules of music, all the rules of harmony and composition. He's bound by those rules, and they give him true freedom. He knows which rules he can break and when it's appropriate to break them and why he's breaking them. His hands glide effortlessly across the keys, he looks like a natural. He has spent a lifetime understanding and working within the boundaries of music theory, and it has given him true freedom, and from that freedom he creates beauty.