In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty?
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Answer: D. In political theory, liberty means not just freedom from restraint but having the conditions and opportunity to develop one's abilities fully. This 'positive' idea of liberty is the most complete definition.
Watch for: 'Absence of restraint' is the textbook first definition, so students stop there.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because protection from rulers is only one aspect of liberty.
- B. Wrong because 'absence of restraint' is the narrow, negative idea of liberty.
- C. Wrong because doing whatever one likes ignores limits needed to protect others' freedom.
Source to check: NCERT Class 11 Political Theory, Chapter 2 'Freedom'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.