frihet

Frihet is the state or condition of being free from coercion, oppression, or control, and the capacity to act according to one's own will within the boundaries of law and moral norms. In everyday usage, it covers political and civil liberties, personal autonomy, and economic choice. In Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish variants of the language, the word is cognate with "fri" meaning free, though different languages spell it as frihet (Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål) or frihed (Danish). In nynorsk Norwegian, the related term is fridom.

Two common philosophical distinctions are negative freedom, freedom from interference, and positive freedom, the ability to act upon one’s goals. Civil and political liberties, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, and property rights constitute core dimensions of frihet in liberal-democratic contexts. Freedom is not absolute; it is usually bounded by the rights of others and by law, with the state or other institutions sometimes restricting behavior to protect safety, order, or equality.

Historically, frihet has been central to liberal philosophy since the Enlightenment. Thinkers such as John Locke and John Stuart Mill argued that secure rights and the rule of law enable individuals to pursue well-being, while political theory debates balance between liberty and equality or collective security. In modern human rights discourse, frihet is enshrined in international frameworks that link civil, political, and economic rights.

In contemporary debates, frihet also raises questions about privacy, surveillance, digital rights, labor freedom, and how markets and welfare states alike aim to maximize meaningful autonomy for diverse populations.