"We recently enjoyed a delightful semantic discussion among the wise at which we were challenged to differentiate between 'liberty' and 'freedom.' Dictionaries consulted came up with nothing very much, maintaining that the two words were synonyms. I do not think they are. To me, freedom is a personal thing, involving absence of restraint. You are free when you break out of jail. On the other hand, liberty is a political condition, and is defined most correctly as the right to do anything which does not prevent or inhibit the free actions of your neighbor. These are just opinions, of course, but they are worth discussion, as I think precision in communication is one of our worthiest social goals."
- Col. Jeff Cooper
Freedom, Free -vs- Liberty
