Concept of Freedom

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Freedom

 
Freedom means many things to many people. Freedom can mean having the
opportunity to vote for particular ideas or for people who best represent our views.
Freedom can refer to the concept of freedom of speech: the ability to freely voice
personal opinions or perspectives. Others may understand freedom in a financial
context, where people seek to free themselves of financial debt, outstanding
credit, and burdensome loans. As defined by Merriam Webster, freedom is the
quality or state of being free, such as the absence of necessity, coercion, or
constraint in choice or action, liberation from slavery, or from the power of another,
boldness of conception or execution, a political right.
 
  Positive Liberty
 
  Negative Liberty

Free Will
FREEDOM Individual Liberty

Social Liberty

Rights

Moral Responsibility
 
 
Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture,
freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many
more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. Positive liberty is
the possession of the capacity to act upon one's free will, as opposed to negative
liberty, which is freedom from external restraint on one's actions. A concept of
positive liberty may also include freedom from internal constraints. Free will has
traditionally been conceived of as a kind of power to control one's choices and
actions. When an agent exercises free will over his choices and actions, his
choices and actions are up to him. But up to his in what sense? As should be clear
from our historical survey, two common answers are: 
 
(1) Up to him in the sense that he is able to choose otherwise, or at minimum that
he is able not to choose or act as he does.  
(2) Up to him in the sense that he is the source of his action. 
 
However, there is widespread controversy both over whether each of these
conditions is required for free will and if so, how to understand the kind of sense of
freedom to do otherwise or source hood that is required. While some seek to
resolve these controversies in part by the careful articulation of our experiences of
deliberation, choice, and action, many seek to resolve these controversies by
appealing to the nature of moral responsibility. 
 
The idea is that the kind of control or sense of 'myself' involved in free will is the
kind of control or sense of 'myself' relevant to moral responsibility. Indeed, some
go so far as to define 'free will' as 'the strongest control condition, whatever that
turns out to be necessary for moral responsibility (Wolf 1990, Fischer 1994, Mele
2006). Given this connection, we can determine whether the freedom to do
otherwise and the power of self-determination are constitutive of free will and, if
so, in what sense, by considering what it takes to be a morally responsible agent.
On these latter characterizations of free will, understanding free will is
inextricably linked to, and perhaps even derivative from, understanding
moral responsibility. And even those who demur from this claim regarding
conceptual priority typically see a close link between these two ideas.
Consequently, to appreciate the current debates surrounding the nature of free
will, we need to say something about the nature of moral responsibility.
 
What makes us Free?
 
Our own freedom is what makes us free. Freedom has traditionally been linked
with the idea of responsibility. George Bernard Shaw expressed this succinctly,
"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." A free person has
the opportunity and burden of making choices and decisions. This also means that
he must bear the consequences of his actions.
 
Complete freedom includes the inner freedom of the will and the external freedom
of the environment such that a person's plans and deliberations are not arbitrarily
thwarted by either himself or some other agency. There is also the sense of inner
freedom that exists where free will is followed by free action. A person who does
not succeed in doing what he sets out to do because his will fails is in a sense
unfree, a slave to his passions. His will is not free because it is subject to
momentary impulses which distract him from accomplishing what he had
determined to do. An example would be a person who is an addict. He may want
to give up his addiction but cannot and the decisions he makes are shaped by the
need to feed the addiction. So freedom comes from self-control.
 
Freedom is not a value but is the ground of values because it allows a person to
create and appreciate values, to pursue the classical values of beauty, truth, and
goodness. It enables people to use their creativity so as to bring joy to God and to
others, their family, relatives, friends, and the wider community. According to the
American moral philosopher Susan Wolf, freedom is the ability to act in
accordance with the True and the Good. According to people such as Saint
Augustine and Confucius, this kind of freedom can reach a point at which it always
produces goodness. Thus historically people have struggled not for abstract
freedom for its own sake, but for the freedom to be good and do good.
 
For the individual freedom is a prerequisite for spiritual and moral growth. A
person who as they grow older is not given more and more responsibility and the
freedom that goes with it does not fully mature. Human beings are treated as
moral agents because they are held to be responsible for their actions. If a person
is not free then they are not responsible. For example, if someone is physically
forced to pull a trigger and kill someone they are not treated as a murderer.
Freedom enables a person to make decisions that will affect their future. It gives
them the chance to take or not to take opportunities that occur instead of having
such decisions made by someone else. Thus freedom enables a person to
become responsible, following their own lights, pursuing and creating beauty,
truth, and goodness.
 
Freedom means self-determination. It is what enables humanity to achieve its
unlimited potential, without being beset by forced diktats or imagined constraints.
 
How do we know that we are free?
 
While it may mean something different for all of us, everyone savors the idea of
freedom. We all have degrees of freedom in our lives, but for most people,
freedom feels somewhat unattainable. Even if we have financial freedom, we may
not have emotional freedom (e.g. depression or anxiety). If we have freedom in
our careers, we might not have physical freedom (e.g. diseases and poor health).
It is difficult to get all the components in place. The following are examples of the
traits of a free individual.
 
1. You dread nothing
 
It is hard to feel free when you wake up every morning and a wave of dread
washes over you - dread about having to go to work, dread about certain troubled
relationships, etc. Free people rarely experience this feeling. They either eliminate
what does not suit them, or they change their perspective about it.
 
2. Your habits serve you
 
There's a difference between habits and addictions. A truly free person will have
habits that they've consciously cultivated, like getting exercise in a way that they
enjoy. These are not self-damaging habits, like smoking, eating fast food, or
spending time with toxic people. Free people have recognized how these things
disempower them.
 
3. You make your own decisions
 
If you feel restricted from making the decisions you want, it's especially difficult to
feel free. A free person will ignore negative judgment from others because they
know what's best for themselves. They also avoid handing too much power over to
people with overbearing and forceful personalities. Free people do not give in to
peer pressure and meaningless obligations that don't benefit them.
 
4. You are full of energy
 
A lack of energy is a barrier to your physical freedom. So those who are truly free
will expend their energy in ways they enjoy. They are not constantly running out of
energy, but rather, always recharging. This includes very different activities
for different people, but the overall effect of feeling energized is the same.
 
5. You believe in your abilities
 
If you believe you are capable of achieving your goals, you free yourself up to
actually move toward those things. If you are skeptical of your abilities, you feel
unable to try, or like you don't have the right to try Free people are aware of their
strengths and weaknesses and play life to their own advantage. They don't waste
time berating themselves over mistakes and can view them as a learning
experience.
 
6. You are financially comfortable
 
This is not based on the amount of money you earn. Rather, it is dictated by your
feelings toward money. Free people may live on very low salaries or very high
salaries. Regardless of their actual income, they afford what they need and feel
stable instead of constantly stressed. A free person will not feel the need to
overspend in order to reach fulfillment.
 
7. You ask for help from others
 
It may seem counter-intuitive, but true freedom usually involves help from others.
Truly free people will ask for advice in order to better themselves or ask for direct
assistance without feeling embarrassed. They recognize that refusing help from
others is a personally-imposed restriction to their freedom. Essentially, free people
are not governed by pride.
 
8. You have free time
 
Obviously, true freedom involves some free time! Even if your schedule is packed,
it can be packed with things you decided and wanted to do. This can also be
considered free time because you are living as you intend to live. A free person
will divvy up their time into work and play without overindulging in either.

 
9. You know yourself
 
Because freedom involves doing what you want and living how you wish, knowing
yourself is a precursor to freedom. Free people know enough about their likes,
dislikes, values, standards, and goals to actually attain freedom. Living by
another's standards is a kind of spiritual laziness, and is a barrier to freedom that
some may not recognize.
 
10. You are independent
 
Just as freedom involves asking for help when you need it, independence is
another significant component. Free people don't feel needy or unstable when
they're alone. They also don't depend on others for their basic needs, like food
and clean clothes. (Yes, free people still need to do their laundry). Basically, free
people are not hindered by a sense of helplessness, which prevents people from
caring for themselves.
 
11. You are physically healthy
 
A truly free person won't find themselves surrounded by prescription pills, medical
bills, and junk food. Free person will take their health into their own hands and
improve their bodies the best they can when a health problem arises. They won't
allow negative addictions to creep in and hold their health hostage.
 
12. You laugh
 
Why does laughing make you free? Because it's your primary right to enjoy
yourself and your life. Someone who doesn't laugh is missing out on the simplest
and most basic form of freedom. A truly free person will take time out for laughter
because they know they deserve it.
 
13. You fulfill your needs
 
By now, you've realized that your needs must be met, and this is something that
free people consciously monitor. Free people don't wait for their needs to be met
by others; they assess them on an ongoing basis. They rest when they need to,
call a friend when they need to, and even push themselves to work harder when
it's the best thing for them.
 
14. You do not let others hold you back
 
Freedom involves healthy boundaries between you and others. The opposite of
this is codependency, which causes people to rely excessively on others for their
self-worth. Truly free people don't derive their self-worth from external people
or events. They judge themselves according to their own reasonable standards
and stay on track with their goals regardless of the behavior of others.
 
15. You have fun
 
If you're truly free, you spend a lot of your time in a state of joy and contentment.
You are not anxiously anticipating the future or a better day. You are not waiting
for permission to enjoy something. You are simply living in the moment, and
savoring the twists and turns that come with life.
 
Do you use freedom responsibly? 
 
Freedom allows people to pursue their interests within the framework of the law. It
means that people are not controlled and not part of someone else's plans and
purposes. On the contrary, as long as they do not break the law, a system of
general rules that apply to everyone, they can live where they choose, follow
whatever career they wish, buy, sell and trade without restriction, read and write
what they like, espouse whatever beliefs and opinions they hold, associate with
whomever they wish and form clubs, groups, parties, and sects without seeking
anyone's permission. In short the freedom to follow their conscience. Such a
person would naturally live within the moral law. Of course, if a person breaks the
law committing murder or stealing they can expect a fair trial followed by
appropriate punishment. The social order that develops in a free society is self-
generated. It is not designed or the product of a central plan but is incredibly
complex with many different types of relationships.
 
WE MUST USE OUR FREEDOM RESPONSIBLY - we can do this by
acknowledging the limitation of our freedom. There are limitations on our freedom
as we try to seek what is best for others. Human beings are subject to different
limitations, and we are bound by different laws. As a citizen of the community, we
are in a social contract, which means we are obliged to follow the rules or the laws
that are being implemented, which will make us law-abiding citizens. Remember,
as diverse as we are, freedom comes in different shapes and forms too. It can be
viewed from various perspectives. Freedom is defined in many ways. Having a
concern for others is good, loving your neighbor makes you a kind individual,
however, there are limitations. If we are going to apply Godwin's principle, it simply
tells us that there are factors that need to be considered. Godwin supposes that
our actions must be based on our moral obligation and not on our personal
affection. According to him, we must prioritize what is the right thing to do by
taking actions for the cause of attaining the greatest good.  Attaining the greatest
attainable good is achievable, however, it is impossible. Man is an emotion-filled
entity, we tend to build attachments to our significant others. This makes us
imperfect, flawed, and subject to the commission of mistakes. This is what makes
us also beautiful, this is what makes us human. Our limitation serves as one of our
bases in decision-making, as imperfect as we are, with the limitations we have, we
try our best to come up with the greatest decision we can make.

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