The commonwealthmen’s liberty ideal centered on non-interference and personal independence.

Evidence

The emphasis on the importance of avoiding interference and attaining personal independence recurs in the writings of the comrnonwealthmen that Harrington influenced, including those who inspired and championed the American Revolution. … True and impartial Liberty is therefore the Right of every Man to pursue the natural, reasonable, and religious Dictates of his own Mind; to think what he will, and act as he thinks, provided he acts not to the Prejudice of another; to spend his own Money himself, and lay out the Produce of his Labour his own Way; and to labour for his own Pleasure and Profit.’ — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 156

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Negative liberty means being free from interference in one’s choices. — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 7; Freedom can be reconceived as non-domination rather than non-interference or self-mastery — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 1207; The non-interference ideal served to legitimate colonial subjugation — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 1211 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Negative liberty means being free from interference in one’s choices. #expands (0.92) — Frank Lovett, Republicanism, 7
• Freedom can be reconceived as non-domination rather than non-interference or self-mastery #qualifies (0.85) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 1207
• Freedom is conceived either as absence of interference or as self-mastery #qualifies (0.80) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 99
• The non-interference ideal served to legitimate colonial subjugation #complicates (0.78) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 1211
• Freedom and independence are distinct and often mutually exclusive #qualifies (0.75) — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 824