On the Limits of Freedom

Abstract

The question of the limits of freedom can be asked not only in philosophical, but also in linguistic terms. Freedom has many meanings, and its limits can be identical to dividing lines between different interpretations of this concept and its synonyms. Dictionaries try to develop clear-cut distinctions between diverging definitions, but in practice everything is more complex. The strict lexical and semantic order of dictionaries can be disturbed, definitions can be mixed or substituted for one another. Svoboda and volia represent just such a case. There is practically no difference between these two concepts in “Explanatory dictionary” of V.I. Dal'. However, G.P. Fedotov in his essay “Russia and Liberty” draws a sharp distinction between svoboda and volia, turning them into antonyms. Volia assumes negative connotations, and its alleged Russianness became a starting point for reflections about Russian freedom in cognitive linguistics. If for Dal' svoboda and volia are almost synonyms, modern dictionaries acknowledge their overlap only at one point – when staying out of prison is concerned. Through this loophole, however, these concepts can intrude on each other’s territory, and svoboda can be substituted for volia. In my essay, I will track relationships, balances and interpenetrations of the concepts svoboda and volia resulting – as it seems – in their interchangeability in the Russian public discourse.