Isaiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty Essay -- Politics Political Es

Isaiah Berlin’s Two Concepts of Liberty In his article "Two Concepts of Liberty", Isaiah Berlin identifies and contrasts the two components of freedom: negative and positive liberty. While the author’s voice is often confused amidst the frequent references to other political philosophies from Platonic to Millian theories, Berlin successfully argues that both of these notions can be misconstrued to the point where liberty itself is sacrificed. Although reasonable, Berlin’s assessment of the two concepts seems artificial and effortlessly simple, as if freedom could be defined according to a rubric; one can, however, agree with his statement that absolute freedom for one individual undoubtedly limit’s the freedom of another. Positive liberty, in the simplest sense, is freedom to, answering the question "Who governs me?"; it is the liberty of self-government. Negative liberty, on the other hand, is freedom from, and answers the question "How far does government interfere with me?"; it is the liberty of limited control by government. According to Berlin, negative liberty is freedom from interference from others; the larger the range of non-interference, the greater one’s negative liberty. As no individual’s actions are committed in a vacuum and will always indirectly affect others, this liberty must be reasonably restricted for the sake of other values, such as equality and justice. As an extension in one’s negative liberty reduces that of another, Berlin states that negative liberty ought to be restricted by law in order for every individual to enjoy it at a minimum. The author reasons that maximum negative liberty could only be feasible in a utopia where all individuals are wholly rational, and where the wishes of all su... ... same. Unfortunately the author never presents a wholly sound distinction between negative and positive liberty, as each negative liberty can logically render itself a positive one. Berlin’s final arguments suggest pluralism, highlighting that there is no single compatible goal or ideal uniform to all individuals; Berlin is clear that a strict minimum of negative liberty is necessary. His estimations of such implications of liberty are both logical and convincing: that an intrusion on the rights of others will always occur in the case of one’s heightened liberty, and that any endeavour to broaden one’s liberty would require the restructuring of the definition of freedom itself. Liberty, according to Berlin, is not committed to democracy; thus, just as authority must be limited for liberty to subsist, so must liberty be restrained for it to be of any significance.

Irony in Poetry

Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. It is used throughout poetry and allows the reader to analyze and differentiate what seems, and what actually is. There are different types of irony including verbal, situational, and dramatic. Irony can be used in the titles of poems, or in themes and messages throughout them. There are many ways to interpret poetry, so irony is a powerful way of making a pointed comment or manipulating a reader's emotions. Verbal irony, sometimes referred to as sarcasm, often occurs in the title of a poem, and is in direct contrast with the contents of the poem. The Unknown Citizen† written by W. H Auden is an excellent example of this. They irony of the title, is that right under it, you read a person's social security number, followed by the rest of the poem which goes into great detail about specific things in a man life. â€Å"When there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went. He was married and added five children to the population, which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his generation. † Here lies the discrepancy between the title, and the contents of this poem.The theme of this poem demonstrates the power of the state, and the powerlessness of an individual. Auden uses irony in the title of this poem to validate the theme. Situational irony occurs when the situation itself contradicts the readers expectations. In the poem â€Å"Porphyria's Lover† by Robert Browning, situational irony is displayed. When the reader interprets the title of this poem, they would most likely expect it to be about two lovers. but when they go on to read the poem, they realize that â€Å"the meeting of two lovers ironically results not in joy and passion, but in murder. (501) â€Å"That moment she was mine, mine, fair, perfectly pure and good: I found a thing to do, and all her hair in one long yellow string I wound three times her little throat around, and strangled her. No pain felt she, I am quite sure she felt no pain. â€Å"(36-42) What the reader expects initially is love, which is demonstrated here by his somewhat gentleness in killing her, hoping she feels no pain, but then followed by the fact that he did murder her, which lovers do not do to each other. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is aware of more than the character in the narrative.The reader possibly sees the significance of a characters actions before the actual character does. Again, â€Å"Porphyria's Lover† is a poem that also exhibits dramatic irony. By the end of this poem, the reader is aware that the main character is a psychopathic killer, however, he is completely unaware that his actions were wrong. After he murders Porphyria, believing that he had fulfilled her wish to be with him forever, he â€Å"warily oped her lids: again laughed the blue eyes without a stain. And I untightened next the tress about her neck; her cheek once more blushed brig ht beneath my burning kiss. (44-48) The speaker in in this poem is telling his story in a nonchalant, unemotional manner, while the reader in continuously coming to terms with the fact that the speaker is an upset maniac. Irony can be used in poetry to make a point, or to evoke a particular emotion or reaction. Sometimes it can be hard to identify, but can ultimately change the way you interpret a poem. Irony, in all its forms, has become an important literacy technique. You can see irony in one, two or all three forms throughout one single poem.

Brief Summary of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen tells and intriguing tale of young love and all of the troubles that comes with it. This novel focuses on the character of Elizabeth Bennet, daughter to a proud mother and nonchalant father. Towards the beginning of the play, the Bennets meet Bingley, a young man who is handsome, wealthy, and eventually becomes the suitor to Jane Bennet, who thinks very highly of everyone and seems identical in her positive view on every person she has ever met. Later, Elizabeth would meet a man named Fitzwilliam Darcy, who proves to be a proud and pompous man, until he justifies his actions towards the end of the novel. Elizabeth then meets Darcy’s rival and enemy Wickham. Wickham steals the attention of every lady until he runs off with Lydia Bennet, who was fifteen years old. Darcy’s actions in the relationship between Wickham and Lydia define exactly how Elizabeth views both Darcy and Wickham at the conclusion of this wonderfully fascinating novel . Elizabeth’s first impressions, how she overcomes these impressions, and her conclusions on the personalities of Darcy and Wickham are surprisingly similar and distinctively different at the same time. Upon first meeting them, Elizabeth pronounces her first impressions towards the personalities of Darcy and Wickham clearly, displaying similarities and stark differences in her opinion. Elizabeth’s initial dislike and admiration of Darcy and Wickham sets her up for hardships in her relationships with these twoShow MoreRelatedPride And Prejudice By Elizabeth Bennet2024 Words   |  9 Pagesfor their family. During the English Regency period, young girls married for financial security and social benefits to improve their family’s status. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet rebelled against this mainstream idea of marriage set by society, in order to marry for true love. Set during the Regency period, Pride and Prejudice focuses on the upbringing of women in a male dominated society in which marriage was the only escape from destitution. For women, the story emphasizes theRead MoreEssay about British Romanticism1831 Words   |  8 Pagestechnology and an appeal to return to simpler times when nature was still revered. Romanticism was far from an anti-modern, nostalgic belief that merely wished to return to the good old days; it was so much more. Douglas Bush offers one of the best summaries of this era in his book Mythology and the Romantic Tradition in English Poetry. He writes: The romantic movement involved ... a change from a mechanical conception of the world to an enthusiastic religion of nature, from rational virtue to emotionalRead MoreLiterary Devices in Pride and Prejudice8198 Words   |  33 PagesBishkek Humanities University named after K. Karasaev The Faculty of European Civilizations The English Language Department â€Å"Peculiarities of the Lexical Stylistic devices (Metaphor, metonymy, irony, simile, epithet) in the novel â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† by Jane Austen† DIPLOMA PAPER Scientific Supervisor: E. B. Jumakeeva Done by: Satarova Rahat, group: A08-2 Contents: Pages: Introduction Chapter