What is Liberty?

[palou]

Aeolus451 said:

palou said:

Why not directly value happiness, instead? It seems more logical to me to derive the tools from the wanted result, rather than the other way round.

Because people value happiness by default but people don't just become happy as a society by default. If a country values liberty, it's people are able to say what they want, believe or not believe in religion, sleep with who they want, spend their money on what they want, etc. Don't you think that they would be happier as the result of having liberty versus not being able to do what you want within reason?

Would you agree that South Korea's people are happier than North Korea's people in general? 

I do think that liberty is generally good. However, that is a *conclusion* to make. It's a tool we derive from the wanted result, as said. I don't think it should be ever presented as an axiom. If the tool decidedly does not fulfil its purpose, it shouldn't be used, for that instance.