To paraphrase the philosopher Isaiah Berlin, socialists do not believe in ‘negative liberty’ or freedom from the State beyond the protection of life, liberty and property, but instead in ‘positive liberty’ or material freedom through the State.3 Yet, ensuring one person’s (say, Ram’s) negative liberty does not significantly affect another person’s (say, Shyam’s) negative liberty unless one insists that murder or theft is liberty. But ensuring Ram’s positive liberty of cradle-to-grave State support does mean downgrading Shyam’s negative liberty with respect to his personal property.
