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Orla C
Lv 7
Orla C asked in Arts & HumanitiesPhilosophy · 1 decade ago

What is freedom? A definition, please ......?

It seems to mean so many different things to so many people, so what is freedom to you?

Update:

Great answers so far, keep 'em coming!

35 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    "Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin, 'Me & Bobby McGee

  • 1 decade ago

    Since you placed this under Philosophy then freedom could still be a number of things but nothing like you'd generally hear. It's not what our ancestors died for or what america cherishes or the right to pursue happiness etc. Really there are many different viewpoints even in philosophy. I'm sorry that even right now as I write this I cannot remember verbatum what each one says but take a look at the definitions of freedom from ______ ( each of these ) Determinism, Compatabilism, Weak Determinism, Strong Determinism, and some others should pop up. But all in all they sound like freedom is the ability to act without according to ones own will etc. Im sorrry I cant help further than that.

    Hope it helps though.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Philosophically I believe that freedom is in fact just an illusion, since any action must invariably face the consequence and we have no freedom to change the consequence without changing our action. In other words, the inviolable 'cause and effect' syndrome means that there is no real freedom. Even if we assume that the freedom is to choose a consequence and accordingly work for it, there is this issue of the ever present uncertainty of future and moreover, the inevitability of the complicated interplay of actions by various people which are more often than not at cross purposes with each other....... when the will of a person prevails, the will of many others suffers.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    To me, freedom is the lack of restraints, a lack of things pulling you back or keeping you down. This can extend to physical and mental things (if there are any others, them too lol). By having freedom, you can do as you please without restriction.

    One way of looking at it is "Absolute Freedom", where you can literally do anything and everything, due to no constraints. However, this is never EVER the case. If you follow this, you could for example, fly without wings because you wanted to, or make Star Wars come to life out of the television, or instantly end the universe by clicking your fingers. These are things (obviously) that you cannot do.

    The other is "Self-Imposed Freedom", where, in your current state, you can do as you please to a level of realistic thinking, where you can actually do what is physically possible. This is what is probably meant by freedom, and is much more realistic. In another way, it could be assessed as simply, being happy with life the way it is. If you believe your life is perfect, you are living how you wish. Your self-imposed freedom is sensible enough to grant however simple or complicated your life is as freedom.

    Now, of course, this is off the top of my head, as the question asked for. I didn't make these definitions, so don't go looking for them!!!

  • 1 decade ago

    Freedom is getting out of prison after 30 years of incarceration. Your free to move on in your life but not having the knowledge you missed out on in those years, your free to find a way back to jail since it is the only life you know. Your free to be the same age you went in when you come out because the opportunity to experience things just freely flew right past you. Your free to become homeless since you cannot possibly keep up with the technical knowledge, work force, auto tech and just plain everyday communicating with people in the free world. Freedom can be very terrifying when you have no place to go, no family left (they died while you were getting free) and no one wants to know you because you don't even know how to explain your own needs since you can;t figure them out. You bet freedom means a lot of different things. you don't even have to leave your own country the home of the free and the brave to be without your freedom. live your life with lots of happiness, joy and caring because freedom is an elusive thing and an enigma

    Source(s): A part of the freedom search
  • 1 decade ago

    Real freedom is internal. It is the understanding that you can choose. By the very nature of having to decide which way to go, we are faced with out own freedom.

    Freedom is messy and difficult and dangerous. With it you can build and you can fall. You are answerable for your own choices as they will shape your future.

    Truth is, you are responsible for how you are living and what your choices have become.

    Your world and the realities you face each day are merely pieces on your gaming table. But you choose whether to risk, change, hide, charge, run or fight.

    Freedom is a realization.

  • 1 decade ago

    Freedom, in the political sense is the absence of state force. Freedom itself is the ability to go against the current of society.

    Source(s): A Libertarian
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I think freedom is spoken of too much as a by-word for everything that is good and right. Freedom has to be spoken of in the context of something more tangible, more quantifiable before we see it for what it is.

    For instance you can say that you are free to say anything you want, or that you are free from tyranny.

    However, freedom in itself is neither good nor right. For instance, you can be free to commit crimes, or free from wealth or a healthy life condition.

    Freedom is only good when it is given or taken in connection with laudable ideas or desires. It is especially good when those desires and ideas are unselfish and are acted upon for the good of the community. Everyone then benefits: it is better for everyone to benefit a little than for a small number of people to benefit greatly at the sufferance and detriment of everyone else.

  • 1 decade ago

    Freedom is a complicated topic. There are two kinds of Freedom,one the bodily and the other the spiritual one.

    The first can be taken away from you by others,limiting your movements and actions,the second cannot.THis is the Freedom of spirit of unlimited thinking,it is yours if you want it to be.

    Many people live in free countries but wear heavy shackles,which they have put on themselves. They are limited in their freedom by some unrealistic Social,Religious and even Economic taboos,those are the ones that cannot be helped unless they do so themselves.

    Freedom is above all a state of mind,if you cannot find it in yourself you will never really know what it means.

    Source(s): Archeologist - Historian
  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    Freedom is something that begins and ends when somebody elses freedom ends and begins

    You are a funny wannabe philosopher

  • 1 decade ago

    Can you, right now do as you please? In any way,do your daydreams ever cross boundries that define other's rights? If you could fallow through with these daydreams into reality, wuold you fallow that path that would incringe upon their rights of freedom? Do so, now....Do as you desire. Do you care about how they feel? What they're going through? The pain caused as you start to ;lose yourself in your own desire.

    It's their pain. Simple. Wrong. .....

    WAR.

    Or rather you would look to free yourself from the ideologies of war. Do so. Beleive freedom lies in a place without hatred and spite. Look for those who share your heart and be just as tough as your adversarity, do so for those who can't because of conviction, or lack of physical ability. Stand for the woman who raise children amd infants. Rise up, oh freeman!!! fight for the freedom of tomarrow for those who beleive freedom is kept in an old Mayonaise jar on the window sill still exist with all the money and influence and power to put so many of our brothers and sisiters into a place of servitude.

    It's us, if you will. We do something to bring tomarrow's freedom, before the politicians get their fingers upon it. How will we deal with that ?

    Start now there is no time to waste!!!..............

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