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Civil liberties are the freedoms, protected by law, generally considered to be essential features of liberal democratic government. The most important civil liberties prohibit governmental or state officials from unwarranted interference in the personal, political and economic activities of a citizen (see liberalism). The fundamental civil liberties include freedom of the person, of privacy, of movement, of expression, of association, and of worship. They are considered essential elements of a liberal civil society.
‘Civil libertarians’ resist novel incursions of the state which may lead to authoritarian government. Civil libertarians disagree over which liberties are most crucial: right-wingers insist that the liberty to own and dispose of one\'s property is the most important freedom; while left-wingers insist that those liberties associated with democratic organization (such as freedom of expression and association) are in most need of protection. BO\'L
See also civil rights; democracy.Further reading R. Gastil, Freedom in the World: Political Rights and Civil Liberties; , G. Phelps and , R. Poirier (eds.), Contemporary Debates on Civil Liberties: Enduring Constitutional Questions. |
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