Negative and positive freedom of a client as social work values

Abstract

The article aims to present the freedom of the social work client as a constitutive value of this profession and to analyse its two fundamental aspects: negative and positive freedom. Negative freedom, understood here as the client's self-determination, is the dimension of freedom which, on the one hand, must be respected but simultaneously restricted, and its restriction by a social worker is ethically permissible in certain situations. Positive freedom conceptualised here as liberation, is that dimension of freedom that is the ultimate goal of the social worker’s activities and, therefore, essential to define this profession. Due to the importance of the client's self-determination for social work, the article pays special attention to two aspects of the client's self-determination: voluntary use of support and active participation in the assistance process, as well as paternalism as an attitude limiting the client's freedom. The conclusion draws attention to the proper education of future social workers as part of their preparation to respect and promote the freedom of clients.