Non-domination republicanism
Contemporary readings of the republican tradition
It understands freedom as independence from the arbitrary power of other people or institutions.
Historical context
The contemporary account revisits classical and early modern republican sources through authors such as Quentin Skinner and Philip Pettit. It starts from an institutional concept of freedom.
Overview
A person is dependent when their options may change at another’s arbitrary will, even if that power is never used. Guarantees and avenues for contestation reduce that dependence.
Main claims
Freedom requires protection against arbitrary power as well as attention to actual interference.
Freedom and arbitrary power
Dependence on arbitrary power reduces freedom even without actual interference.
Interpretation for comparison · Republicanism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Constitutional limits
Institutions constrain arbitrary power through law and mechanisms of control.
Interpretation for comparison · Republicanism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Debates and nuances
Mechanisms of public control and contestation give republican freedom institutional content.
The assessment compares only the positions documented in this entry.