Power point presentation - foundations of freedom
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foundations_of_freedom_diana_steluta.pptxFoundations of Freedom
Which are the main theories of freedom?
Which is the impact of bodies on the freedom of UK citizens?
How does EU affect UK citizens freedom?
Which are the foundations of freedom in UK?
What makes individual freedom valuable?
How does the British state protect citizens freedom?
Which are the foundations of freedom?
What is the significance of the magna carta?
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The Magna Carta is a significant document in the evolution of civil rights and is considered to be the first document of human freedom. It placed England on the road to a democratic state and introduced the lawyers in England to the concept of Human Rights as we know it now.
The Charter itself still lives.
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Clause 39 still resonates today as one of the most powerful sentences in history.
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King John made himself very unpopular during his reign by his constant demands for money. The leading barons tried to impose limits on his powers by drawing up Magna Carta, after they captured London during a revolt against John’s tax policies and his conduct in general.
Magna Carta didn’t bring peace to England. King John found the terms in the Magna Carta unacceptable. He only signed the document to buy time - and did not keep to what he agreed to. Civil war broke out in England
"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."
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However, the act of citizens being able to guarantee their own rights was a major step in forming modern democracies.
Its implantation into English political life was the work of the minority government of John’s son.
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It was signed at Runnymede, on the banks of the River Thames, near Windsor Castle.
The Magna Carta was signed in 15 June 1215 between the barons of Medieval England and King John.
The Magna Carta is an important piece of English history where the rights of individuals are protected against the power of the King or Queen
The document was a series of written promises between the king and his subjects that he, the king, would govern England and deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law. It was a last ditch attempt to stop a civil war
Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede near Windsor
Why is freedom valuable?
Freedom is Important because without it you would be controlled and would not have free will over your own body and mind
Millions of people have died to obtain freedom for the future generations of their families, and it should not be forgotten.
People need to express themselves and find their way in life to live better, longer, and happier.
The importance of freedom is that it allows us to develop our morality and our consciences.
Why freedom is important for the British society?
Freedom creates prosperity. Societies that have embraced freedom have made themselves rich.
People in a free society do not become rich by exploiting others, as the elites of less free countries do.
They become rich only by providing others with what they want and making other people’s lives better.
A free society is a spontaneous society.
It builds up from the actions of individuals, following the rules that promote peaceful cooperation.
It is not imposed from above by political authorities.
Government has a very limited role in a free society.
It exists to prevent harm being done to its citizens, by maintaining and enforcing justice.
The government of a free society is constrained by the rule of law.
How does the British state protect citizens freedom? David Cameron’s speech about freedom
Life in the globalised twenty-first century world presents great challenges to our government. The first is to protect our security.
The rise of international terrorism, mass movements of people, the transformation in communications technology makes it easier for terrorists to plan and coordinate their campaign.
All of these things make it harder for government to protect his citizens.
It's hard to make that crucial judgement: how much freedom should we forego in order to be safe?
In a number of speeches and articles over the past twelve months I have looked at the three key areas where we need action to fight terrorism: international relations,
domestic security, and community cohesion.
The government is responsible for the general welfare of citizens and gives protection to the most vulnerable in society. The government takes on the responsibility to pay for public services including the health system, the armed forces, the environment and benefits if you are unemployed, homeless or need to stay at home to look after a relative.
The rights and liberties of British citizens are not set out in a single constitutional document; some of them are the results of custom and convention, others are contained in the written Acts of Parliament.
Freedom of movement.
Freedom from arbitrary arrest or unjustified police searches.
Freedom of association, including the right to protest peacefully.
The right not to be coerced or tortured by agents of the state.
The right not to be subjected to surveillance without due legal process.
The right to own property.
Freedom of conscience in matters of religion and politics.
Freedom of expression.
Social Freedoms- such as the right to marry, divorce, procure abortions or have homosexual relations; the right to vote and to stand for election.
The right to a fair trial
Theories of Freedom
in liberal democracies
Liberal Democracy is a phrase often used to describe Western democratic political systems, such as Britain, Australia, the United States, Canada and other nations.
It is generally agreed that liberal democracies are based on four main principles:
- a belief in the individual
- a belief in reason and progress
- a consensual theory of society=mutual benefit association
- a suspicion of concentrated forms of power, whether by
individuals, groups or governments
Friedrich Hayek and Freedom
Friedrich Hayek is the political philosopher most closely associated with Thatcherism.
According to Hayek, all freedoms depend on economic freedom. If a society concentrates economic power in the state it will soon loose political and intellectual freedom.
Freedom comes in different shapes. Hayek wants
freedom for enterprise, b)freedom from state control.
Roger Scruton says that conservatism is mainly about authority, whilst liberalism is about freedom
Bertrand Russell says that liberalism is about individualism as opposed to collectivism.
Hayek considers liberalism to be the defence of individuals from the collectivist state. This does not mean, however, that he is in favour of a weak state. A strong state is necessary to defend individual rights, especially economic rights
The impact of bodies on the freedom of UK citizens
1.For example, public authorities may limit your right of movement if you are legally detained because you have mental health issues, in order to protect the rights of others or the interests of the wider community
2. Another example of restriction of freedom is applied to those being under DUI House Arrest. The rules are fairly basic and simple; they cannot leave their house without previous authorization.
3. Also no one has access to a person’s private property without his permission or against the wishes of the landowner, otherwise he becomes a trespasser and the owner has the right to ask him to leave.
4. The right to freedom of expression may be restricted as is necessary "for the protection of the reputation and rights of others." That means that the law does not guarantee the right to publish defamatory statements that injure others' reputations.
5. A state should not impose on its citizens a duty to express information or opinions which they do not support or consider false or useless. Like the right to speak, the right not to speak cannot be absolute: citizens must still fill in their tax forms, pharmaceutical companies must disclose the side-effects of the medicines they market, and witnesses must testify in court.
Guaranteed by an Act of Parliament in 1998, these freedoms have existed under common law for more than 700 years. However, in some cases these freedoms may be limited, as paragraph three of article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights shows:
“3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order, public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Covenant.”
How does EU affect UK citizens freedom?
The effect of EU citizens’ right to free movement within the EU on migration to and from the UK
Essentially, freedom of movement cuts both ways for the UK, though on balance Britain receives more than it sends.
Other EU countries (as a whole) have in recent years sent more than four times as many people to the UK than the UK has sent to the rest of the EU.
The impact of EU freedom of movement on overall net migration in the UK is about a quarter of the total-more significant than is sometimes suggested.
But in specific cases- notably Spain- the UK has been a major net sending country.
May 2014 Update
In 2012, 147,000 EU migrants came to the UK, while 38,000 UK citizens emigrated to other countries in the EU – indicating that a balance of 109,000 more EU migrants came to the UK than UK citizens emigrated to take up residence elsewhere in the EU.
Migration of UK citizens to EU countries & EU citizens to the UK
REFERENCES:
Magna Carta, Clause 39
Office for National Statistics, Fig 1 Migration of UK citizens to EU countries & EU citizens to the UK
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 12
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Amnesty International UK, (2001) Freedom! Human Rights Education Pack
William L. Miller (1995), Alternatives to Freedom Arguments and Opinions, Pearson Education
www.bbc.co.uk (accessed on 23/05/2014)
www.theguardian.co.uk (accessed on 23/05/2014)
http://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/commentary/eu-shuffle-how-does-freedom-movement-eu-affect-migration-and-uk (accessed on 23/05/2014)
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/human-rights-act (accessed on 23/05/2014)
http://www.freemovement.org.uk/european-commission-warning/ (accessed on 23/05/2014)
