Intersections of Freedom
Patterson |
In all three narratives, the groups of indigenous people experience a constraint on both their freedom and movement. Both personal and sovereignal freedom, as defined by James Patterson, can be seen in the interaction between Europeans and the indigenous tribes. Sovereignal freedom is "the power to act as one pleases, regardless of the wishes of others" {1}. Personal freedom is "not being coerced or restrained by another person in doing something desired" {1}.
The indigenous groups experience a lack of personal freedom as they are being restrained by the Europeans in terms of being able to practice their culture and traditions. Europeans fully and forcefully exercised their sovereignal freedom as they acted in whatever means they desired with no concern about how the indigenous tribes felt. The indigenous groups thus experienced a loss of sovereignal freedom. They could not do whatever they pleased because they were constrained and forced to assimilate to new ways of life. Throughout this process, these indigenous peoples could not freely do as they wished and were dehumanized as they had no choice in the matter. Their voices and opinions were silenced as they were viewed as inferior in the eyes of the Europeans.
The indigenous groups experience a lack of personal freedom as they are being restrained by the Europeans in terms of being able to practice their culture and traditions. Europeans fully and forcefully exercised their sovereignal freedom as they acted in whatever means they desired with no concern about how the indigenous tribes felt. The indigenous groups thus experienced a loss of sovereignal freedom. They could not do whatever they pleased because they were constrained and forced to assimilate to new ways of life. Throughout this process, these indigenous peoples could not freely do as they wished and were dehumanized as they had no choice in the matter. Their voices and opinions were silenced as they were viewed as inferior in the eyes of the Europeans.
Berlin
Isaiah Berlin's concept of negative liberty is also at work in each experience of the indigenous peoples. Negative liberty is the "area within which a man can act unobstructed by others" {2}. In this sense, Europeans had negative liberty in their conquest and influence on the indigenous groups. They acted in unobstructed and unconstrained ways as they forcefully influenced the lives and cultures of the indigenous groups. Conversely however, the indigenous groups could not participate in negative liberty as they were obstructed by the Europeans. They could not act in any way they wished because they were limited by the constraints and regulations that were placed on them. Berlin also writes, "if I am prevented by others from doing what I could otherwise do, I am to that degree unfree" {2}. This is exactly what the Europeans did to the three indigenous groups. The Europeans prevented the indigenous groups from fully and unrestrictedly participating in their culture and ways of life. Indigenous groups were forced to assimilate, and therefore lost a portion of their identity and culture. Additionally, the Europeans exercised their positive liberty as they were their own self-masters {2}. They dictated their own actions and were in control of their experience and future.
Sources
{1} Patterson, Orlando. 1991. “Preface,” “Introduction,” and “Coda.” In Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, ix-xvi, 1-5, and 402-406. New York, N.Y.
{2} Berlin, Isaiah. 1998. “Two Concepts of Liberty.” Excerpts from Parts 1-3 and 7. In The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays, edited by Henry Hardy and Roger Hausheer, 2-4, 8-10, 13, 26-29. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Original edition, 1958.
{2} Berlin, Isaiah. 1998. “Two Concepts of Liberty.” Excerpts from Parts 1-3 and 7. In The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays, edited by Henry Hardy and Roger Hausheer, 2-4, 8-10, 13, 26-29. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Original edition, 1958.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE TRANSATLANTIC WORLD
Created by Clark, McGannon, Andrew, Bates and Fulton - CC 2019