Quentin Skinner on Liberty

In this episode of "The Good Fight," Yascha Mounk interviews Quentin Skinner, a distinguished intellectual historian, about his new book, "Liberty as Independence." They discuss two contrasting conceptions of liberty: freedom as the absence of interference versus freedom as the absence of domination. Skinner argues that the dominant modern view of freedom as non-interference neglects the importance of not being subject to another's arbitrary will, which can manifest in various forms, such as within a marriage, the workplace, or in a political system. They explore how this alternative view of liberty, rooted in classical republicanism, emphasizes the importance of political institutions and the consent of the governed. Mounk challenges Skinner on whether the distinction between these two traditions is as significant as he claims, questioning if the classic liberal idea of freedom can also recognize forms of unfreedom. The conversation touches on the implications for democracy and the nature of rights, contrasting fundamental rights with human rights.