• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Part II Reinforcing Freedom and Establishing Good Governance Section 1: Analytical Framework: Freedom, Good Governance and Human Development This section presents the analytical framework for Part II of the report, devoted to freedom and governance. The section starts with a brief sur- vey of the intellectual basis of the topic that ends in the report’s defini- tion of freedom and good governance, and then turns to a discussion of some of the problematic issues of freedom and governance in Arab countries at present. 45 CHAPTER ONE The Intellectual Basis and Concept of Freedom and Good Governance Introduction BOX 1-1 This chapter presents the analytical frame- Natural Human Rights work underpinning the Report’s analysis of “The end in view of every political asso- rights are liberty, property, security and freedom and good governance. ciation is the preservation of the natural resistance to oppression.” The chapter starts by summarizing key and imprescriptible rights of man. These postulates of freedom in Western thought. Article II, French Declaration of the Rights of Man and The Citizen, August, 1789 ( in French ). It traces how thinking shifted from stressing the primacy of individual freedom to under- come congruent through a mechanism of rep- lining the harmonization of individual free- resentation by proxy: representatives would be dom with collective societal arrangements accountable to the people through elections. in order to reconcile individual freedom Thus, the government would be an instrument with other higher human goals. The latter for securing liberty rather than a source of op- The source of societal pression. formulation is close to the Report’s concept authority is the will of of human development. The chapter next Accordingly, principles of “democracy” examines the place of freedom in Arabic were developed, as a means to safeguard the the majority. culture, indicating its presence in various freedom of the majority from oppression by schools of thought. Drawing on the features any dominant minority, whether the latter’s of freedom in both Arabic and Western source of power was might or wealth. The fun- thinking, the chapter sets out the concept of damental principle at issue here is “democratic freedom adopted in the Report and the ele- legitimacy,” which denotes that the source of ments of good governance guaranteeing its societal authority is the will of the majority. realization. This exposition frames the main For John Stuart Mill, the goal of freedom discussion. is “pursuing our own good in our own way,” and this is the most important component of FREEDOM IN WESTERN LIBERAL “happiness or human well-being.” On this THOUGHT: FROM INDIVIDUAL basis, he believed that happiness would ac- FREEDOM TO HUMAN crue only to “someone who was capable of DEVELOPMENT choosing an independent path and who had the public sphere available in which to exercise that capacity,” through possessing “faculties of The democracy that THE PRIMACY OF INDIVIDUAL critical judgment and free choice.” And thus ensures liberty is the LIBERTIES the democracy that ensures liberty is the most fertile soil for social progress, and also for pur- most fertile soil for suing the aim of individual happiness. In Western thought, the Utilitarian philoso- social progress. phers, in particular, searched for a form of However, Mill was not confident that government capable of ensuring that those democratic society would of its own accord who hold power would not crush or endan- safeguard the freedom of individuals and mi- ger the liberty of those they governed. The norities. Moreover, fearful that the democratic solution upon which James Mill settled was process would subject all aspects of life to “representative government,” in which the control by the ruling authority, thereby insti- interests of government and people would be- tuting “tyranny of the majority,” he inquired THE INTELLECTUAL BASIS AND CONCEPT OF FREEDOM AND GOOD GOVERNANCE 47 into what properties were common to activities sideration of freedom with regard to the Arab that would qualify for exemption from govern- world at the start of the third millennium. ment control. His fears were not confined to Mill considered only two justifications for the regulatory actions of government. They restricting individual liberty valid: to prevent extended to “the government of popular opin- the individual from harming others, and to ion,” or unofficial forms of coercion to which prevent the individual from violating an obliga- those who hold unpopular beliefs or practice tion toward others, whether by a certain act or Without complete unorthodox actions are subjected. through inaction. In relation to the individual, According to Mill, we have the right to her/his independence is absolute, since “over freedom of opinion discuss, to disagree, to attack, to reject, or even himself, over his own body and mind, the indi- and debate, the truth to forcefully condemn an opinion. But we have vidual is sovereign” and “the individual is not cannot emerge. absolutely no right to obstruct or suppress that accountable to society for his actions in so far opinion, because to do so will destroy “the thin as these concern the interests of no person but along with the fat” in equal measure. Indeed, himself”. The only exception would be a case to do so constitutes nothing less than collec- of verified, and not merely possible, danger. tive suicide, both intellectual and moral. For without the right and ability to protest, there INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND can be no justice and no end worth striving SOCIETAL REGULATION for. Without complete freedom of opinion and debate, the truth cannot emerge. Safeguarding liberty, however, does not mean opposing societal organization per se; after all, such organization constitutes one of human- BOX 1-2 Freedom of opinion as a sacred right kind’s most important means of progress. But it certainly implies taking a determined stance If all mankind minus one were of one more justified in silencing that one per- opinion, and only one person were of the son than he, if he had the power, would against all forms of elite, monopolistic or co- contrary opinion, mankind would be no be justified in silencing mankind. ercive organization, all of which inhibit new Source: Mill, 1978, 16 discoveries and innovation. Thus, as long as it is based on voluntary participation in an at- And so, in his view, even if we find our mosphere of freedom, the social order remains selves facing no actual opposition, we should beneficial and effective (Hayek, 1978, 37). devise arguments against ourselves simply in Moreover, democratic rule is able to estab- order to remain in a state of “intellectual fit- lish institutional guarantees to forestall flawed ness.” decisions arising from a democratic majority. A Thus Mill poses a very strong connec- theoretical position evolved that some institu- tional arrangements can actively enable indi- Issues of liberty must tion between freedom, especially freedom of thought and debate, creative expression, in- viduals to use their capabilities for the sake of be presented anew to novation, and human progress. For him the progress, while minimizing any harm resulting from organizational restrictions. That position humanity whenever primary engine of progress is the coupling of “freedom and variety,” which leads in turn to entails imposing restrictions on the decisions human conditions individuality and originality. This combination of the majority to prevent legislation that is un- 1 change. forestalls the mediocrity that necessarily arises acceptable in principle. Equally, it allows for when people remain in a state of conformity courts and ombudsmen who have the authority and compliance. And he made no exception to criticize or rectify such decisions. for the issue of freedom itself. In the introduc- The Essence of Democracy and Democratic tion to On Liberty, he proposes that issues of Transition liberty must be presented anew to humanity whenever human conditions change. Democracy, in essence, is a system for manag- Thus it is that we present here our recon- ing conflict that allows free competition over 1For example, the US Constitution includes a ‘Bill of Rights’ that defines activities that the government or Congress must not regulate. The First Amendment stipulates that Congress will not pass any legislation that restricts freedom of expression, at the federal level. 48 ARAB HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2004 the values and goals that citizens care to pre- PROBLEMATIC ISSUES OF serve. On this basis, as long as there is a group FREEDOM: LIBERALISM AND that does not resort to violence, and does not DEMOCRACY, ATTRIBUTES OF transgress the rights of other citizens, it is ac- MAJORITY RULE corded freedom to work to promote its inter- ests in both civil and political society. This, in It is often acknowledged in Western liberal brief, constitutes the core of democratic insti- ideology that democracy can harbour flaws. Political society must tutional arrangements (Stepan, 2001, 216). If democracy can restrict liberty, then society In the theory of democratic transition, elec- cannot be considered free unless two related be protected in the tions - free and competitive - occupy a central conditions are simultaneously present: form of a democratic position. In large societies, there are additional First, there can be no absolute powers, institutional arrangements charged with for- such that everyone has the right to reject inhu- constitution that mulating preferences, expressing them, and man behaviour. respects fundamental making sure that they are taken into account Second, there must be a firmly established in suitable fashion in the governance process sphere of rights and freedoms within which a freedoms, including (Dahl, 1971). person’s humanity cannot be violated. (Berlin the rights of The recommended institutional guarantees 1969, 165) (ibid) include the following seven elements: In principle, therefore, democracy is an minorities. • Freedom of expression instrument and not an end in itself.

Load more

  20

Copy Link