Abstract

MANSUY, Daniel. Benjamin Constant’s Two Liberties. Tópicos (México) [online]. 2024, n.69, pp.119-146.  Epub Aug 16, 2024. ISSN 0188-6649.  https://doi.org/10.21555/top.v690.2615.

This article relativizes the thesis that Benjamin Constant’s thought is a direct antecedent of Isaiah Berlin’s distinction between positive and negative freedom. According to that position, there would be a clear similarity between Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty and Constant’s The Liberty of Ancients Compared with that of Moderns. Firstly, I talk about the way in which Berlin refers to Constant in order to account for the latter’s distinction. I then examine a relevant difficulty for Berlin’s proposed affiliation: Constant’s republican tone. Thirdly, I discuss Constant’s thought to determine the role played by this republican tone, which is indispensable to measure his differences when compared with Berlin. Finally, I conclude with some reflections on the relationship between the two authors.

Keywords : Isaiah Berlin; Benjamin Constant; freedom; republicanism.

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