Directions
Isaiah berlin’s “two Concepts of liberty” and the other is George Sabine’s “The Two Democratic Traditions”. Berlin’s essay is famous for a number of reasons, among them his distinction between, and discussion of, “positive” theories of liberty and their “negative” counterparts. Sabine, for his part, makes an important distinction between what he calls the Anglo-American democratic tradition and its French counterpart.
These two papers are related to one another, although their arguments differ in important ways.
Familiarize yourself with the arguments and analyses advanced in both articles. Use them in an intelligent discussion of the appropriate theorists (Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau). The idea is to generate categories of judgment that you can use to talk about the principles advanced by different thinkers
Guidelines
• Do not spend much time talking about Berlin and Sabine. Use their analyses in your own words and refer to them only when necessary. The point is to talk about the Theorists and use your own analyses.
• Be as comprehensive as you can. Some of the thinkers may not be amenable to your analysis, but many will be.
• Be bold. Berlin and Sabine are intended to push you and force your thinking into new avenues. Go for it
