Libertés

Libertés is the plural of liberté, referring to the freedoms that protect individuals from undue state interference and enable autonomous action. In political and legal discourse, libertés are commonly grouped into civil liberties (freedom of expression, religion, assembly, movement), political liberties (participation in government and elections), and economic liberties (property rights, freedom to contract).

Historically, libertés were central to Enlightenment thought and the French Revolution. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen linked liberty to the protection of others' rights and the rule of law. In modern constitutions and international law, libertés publiques or libertés fondamentales designate fundamental rights guaranteed to individuals and protected by courts and institutions.

Philosophically, liberty is discussed as negative liberty—the absence of coercion—and positive liberty—the capacity to act to achieve one's goals. Thinkers such as John Stuart Mill and Isaiah Berlin have shaped these debates, emphasizing limits on freedom when it harms others and the conditions needed for genuine self-determination.

Contemporary practice sees libertés balanced against other aims, including security and public order. Regional frameworks, such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, specify protected liberties and enforcement mechanisms. In France and many EU countries, libertés are central to constitutional law and everyday civic life, subject to proportional restrictions under law.