Hello everyone!
A big thank you goes out to older firman, ivana, derrick and terence for helping me with the essay. Terence practically coauthored it with all his syntatic corrections and improvements =) I do hope it lives up to expectations ><
Oh dear.
7. Is freedom always good?
“Any society that would give up a little liberty for a little security would deserve neither and lose both.” Freedom is a state much prized within the realm of civilised society. It is considered the most basic of human rights, and is intrinsic to our very existence. It is said in many religious texts, ranging from the Bible to the teachings of Zoroastrians, that Mankind is the only creature given the gift of free will. Yet, just as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden because they chose to eat the forbidden fruit, freedom is a value that does not always yield positive results. There are two primary types of freedom, and those are, freedom from malevolence, and freedom of choice. In the latter especially, freedom is not always good, simply because the “right” choice, or the choice that is considered to be the best, can be pretty hard to make. This is all the more so because all our choices can affect other people.
First we begin by understanding freedom. This precious commodity comes in two forms. The first is the lack of external forces oppressing the individual, and the second is the ability to make independent decisions and act upon those. From this dichotomy we see that the concept of freedom entails three things, three prerequisites. The first and the most important is empowerment. Whether physical or otherwise, the first step towards individual sovereignty is to break free from the bondages and walls. Once you have overcome the oppression, in order to act upon your freedom, to utilize it, you will then need knowledge and maturity. Maturity, as discussed by Immanuel Kant, is the exercise of one’s mental abilities to arrive at rational and responsible conclusions based on an one’s knowledge and experiences. Clearly, the last two requirements for freedom are interlinked and it is from these two that derive the inherent flaws of freedom.
In today’s society, there are few who disagree that the most basic freedom, the freedom from oppression, is a good thing, and more then that, is fundamental and inalienable. The right not to be a bondsman, not to be a slave, not to be a commodity is one of the most sacred values of modern liberal societies.<
Having cleared that, let us look at the second form of freedom, the freedom of choice and action. As previously mentioned, this requires knowledge and maturity, and it is because of these requirements, and the inability of man to fulfil them and the inherent selfishness of man that leads us to the inevitable conclusion that freedom is not always good.
We make choices via a cost-benefit analysis – is my pleasure worth ten dollars more to have a steak over a hamburger? However, not all choices are as simple. Many choices have hidden costs, or have undeterminable or indefinite benefits. In this case, the cost-benefit equation could potentially be miles off track, impeding a rational choice. For example, if John were to be in a different scenario, this time choosing whether or not to take out a loan on a brand new Ferrari, he has imperfect knowledge of the future and therefore, is not able to factor in unexpected scenarios such as losing his job, or other misfortunes. This may lead him to make the wrong choice. In this particular instance, the freedom of choice is not necessarily bad, because there is no reason why John should be deprived of a BMW or Ferrari simply because he is not clairvoyant. However, if we take for instance the choice of pesticides used in agriculture, things may look slightly different. A farmer may choose a pesticide based more on its financial cost rather than other factors, such as the presence of toxins or pollutants. In this case, an imperfect knowledge of the harm done to the environment or to oneself may lead to a choice with potentially far sounding negative consequences.
Maturity, the tendency to make rational decisions based on knowledge and experiences is another factor in choice. Just like a child would rather play than study, immature choices are often shortsighted and may be harmful. The age of consent of 18 or above in many counties recognizes this fact and therefore, takes away a person’s freedom to choice while he is still a child. However, maturity is not something that is assured with age, and therefore, reason and rationality is not either.
This deficiency in reason and rationality allows us to construct one of the strongest arguments against freedom. Man is selfish, and will therefore make choices to benefit himself without thought or concern for others. It is argued that selfishness is essentially the ultimate immaturity, because the individual fails to account for factors in the bigger picture, either on purpose or because of a sheer lack of inability. This means that he fails to consider the welfare of society in general.
This is something that John Stuart Mill recognized in his thesis on liberty, which led to the evolution of the “harm principle”. This principle works on the premise that all individual actions have repercussions on other people and society. Freedom and rights should be taken away when these repercussions are negative. Therefore, John has the right to buy his car and potentially fall into debt because the effects are purely individual, whereas a burglar does not have the right to saunter into another’s house and walk out with his liquor cabinet, because he then harms another party. Rights are the freedoms you can exercise, crimes are those you cannot – obviously, absolute freedom is not a good thing.
This brings me to my final point on freedom. When John decides if he wants to buy his Ferrari, he also has to live with the consequences of this choice. When Twiggy walks past a cake shop, she has to decide if she wants to be tempted by the cheesecake in the window. If she decides to buy it, she will have to bear the consequences of such an action. Freedom brings about a choice; these choices, and their inevitable consequences, lead to responsibilities. This causes stress and may even become a burden, especially if the freedom was exercised immaturely or without complete knowledge. That is why freedom even over one’s individual choices may not be good.
Yet, why is freedom so precious that men fight and die for it? It is because it is in the human spirit to desire freedom. Freedom liberates the soul by giving individuals the space to explore and be creative. It creates passion precisely because it entails responsibilities and consequences. It enables diversification and promotes individualism. Nature’s snowflakes are not hammered out in great big forges in the sky. They are given room to form freely, each becoming a unique and exquisite work of art.
In the same way, regardless of whether freedom is good or bad, its benefits can be seen and felt everywhere. It is no mere coincidence that first world countries are mostly liberal democracies. Freedom encourages enterprise and development. The more liberal regulations are, the more vibrant the arts are.
So how shall we handle freedom? We must first commit ourselves to the most responsible and mature exercise of our freedom. We should then isolate the choices most harmful to our society by legislating against them. Our laws should both deny freedom to those who would abuse it and defend it from those who would take it from us. For what is the hope that gives strength to the prisoner in his lonely cell, chained in bondage behind rude walls but freedom? What Goddess does the storm tossed mariner offer his most fervent prayers to but freedom? What does it mean to human but to be free?
peace, yo
Baron von Wank
