In U.S. society, individual liberty remains a hallmark of democratic principles. Individual liberty stems from the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Adam Smith. Such views heavily influenced Thomas JeffersonÆs idea that the government that governs best governs least. Individual liberty is a cornerstone of American democracy, being a guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, ôWe hold these Truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happinessö (Urofsky 2004, 3). The U.S. government exists to protect these rights of Americans. However, liberty is a complex concept that often represents a source of great debate in U.S. society. This analysis will look at the use of liberty in U.S. society, including different definitions and examples of different kinds of liberty.
The concept of liberty as encompassed by the Declaration of Independence is a right. Like freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to privacy, and the right to trial by jury, the right to liberty is one that cannot be taken away. In contrast to privileges like a driving license, rights cannot be arbitrarily removed from American citizens. People often confuse rights with privileges, primarily because of a lack of misuse of the two terms as interchangeable. Liberty remains the highest end of politics, the freedom to live oneÆs life without undue government interference or restraint. Some political organizations, like the Libertarian Party, have an agenda that revolves entirely around the concept of liberty. Libertarians strongly support individual liberties and the Bill of Rights. As McArtney (2003) maintains, Libertarians advocate ôthe freedom of individuals to pursue their lives as they see fit, as long as they cause no harm to others, with minimal government interferenc...