Color Scheme

Subscribe now

The limits of liberty

Many people today make liberty their primary concern. It is indeed a serious matter. I do not find equal attention given to the meaning of “liberty” or “freedom.” If liberty means the freedom of an individual to act without restraint, I think it is a concept of little merit. If I were left to pursue whatever fancy might strike me at the moment, I would think myself prey to desires and urges I could not account for. This seems to me an unfreedom.

Liberty must have a close connection to morality: I am free to do what is right, my duty, the good. In doing wrong, I am in chains, perhaps of my own making. Liberty is not conducive to a life of feckless ease. I have to justify, if only to myself, my actions with reference to other concerns; liberty is not self-justifying. I can’t help thinking a robust discussion of the meaning of such terms as “liberty” would be a useful supplement to our civic lexicon.

Gregory Chipps

Spokane

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

  • No more than 250 words
  • We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
  • We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
  • With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
  • The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form
Submit your letter here
Mail
Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email
editor@spokesman.com
Fax
(509) 459-3815
Phone
(509) 459-5430

Read more about how we crafted our Letters to the Editor policy