What is Freedom? Many of you are asking this question, but the answer is usually ambiguous. Many people are worried and interested in this issue, but not everyone can give a specific definition, interpretation of this concept. This question worries me very much, so I even created a whole project dedicated to Freedom and its various manifestations in our world. So why is it so difficult to give a definite answer to this question? Why are there so many different opinions on this? Yes, because this concept is more complicated than it seems at first glance.
And, I dare say, most of your opinions are partly true, because Freedom is much more than just one particular subjective opinion. I pondered this question for a long time, digested many versions, opinions, analyzed various options and now, it seems to me, now I can give a specific definition and answer to the question - what is Freedom.
So, first, let's take a look at the frankly erroneous understanding of the concept of Freedom.
If I can afford to do what I want, then I am free - says the liberal paradigm. Such an interpretation is wholly and completely tuned to ensure that its bearer behaves like a consumer and endlessly consumes various goods and services of certain capitalists. This is a common marketing ploy of Western businessmen in order to get as much money as possible from a person (consumer), as much profit as possible (“surplus value” according to Marx). With such "freedom" a person, considering himself truly free and religiously believing in it, becomes a very good consumer, creates a great demand and stimulates economic growth, in which the capitalist, i.e. the bearer of capital, receives the maximum profit from the sale (sale) of its goods and services to such a consumer.
WHAT IS THIS TREATMENT WRONG?
At first glance it seems that if I can do what I please, then I am free. Such an interpretation motivates a person to act, i.e. you have to want. You will be free in this case, if you act, do something, what you want. And if you don't do anything, then it turns out that you are not free at the moment. It turns out that in order to remain free, you must constantly want something and receive it. But if you have a need for something, then you are dependent on it. Then such an interpretation does not at all make a person free - on the contrary, it makes him dependent, i.e. limits this freedom. A dependent person cannot be free, can he?
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Let's introduce a drug addict to you. I think no one will doubt that such a person is addicted. And he is dependent on a psychoactive substance, i.e. drug. Since he is dependent on this, his body requires this substance. So by injecting himself with a new dose, a person does what he wants? He really wants to take and use this substance. Likewise, an alcoholic, waking up in the morning, is looking for a new way to get money for an alcoholic drink. They are dependent - it means they are not free. Intoxicating substances suppress the will of these people, and most of their actions are carried out for the sake of this substance, i.e. the drug becomes the master of these people. This means that this definition is wrong and they cannot designate the term Freedom.
THEN WHAT IS FREEDOM?
First of all, I want to say that:
The ability to do “what you want” does not yet make you free (!), But liberation from these desires themselves makes a person free.
In my understanding, Freedom is presented as a kind of absolute, as an incorporeal philosophical structure that includes various other freedoms. Those. one Great Freedom, as an absolute, includes small freedoms. Freedom from one, from another, from the third, from the fifth and tenth - and this is how the collective image is formed. Absolute Freedom or Great Freedom is an ideal that is unattainable for a person, to which you should strive if you want to be free, but it is impossible to achieve it (and it is not necessary). I see it as a scale or percentage, where 100% is absolute freedom, anything less than 100 is the way to achieve this Greater Freedom by gradually acquiring small freedoms.
Figure: 1. Conventional scale of freedoms, where 100% is absolute freedom, 0% is complete dependence.
Let's imagine again the same drug addict and compare him with a drug addict, i.e. those who do not use. It turns out that an independent person is, by some percentage (say, 30%) freer than that addict. This means that a person who does not have this dependence is a little freer than another. This means that every person is both free and not free at the same time. He is at some division, on this scale, at some percentage. Saying that we are completely free, we are disingenuous, since we can be free at a given moment of time from something, as a rule, from various affairs, worries, but for some fraction of a percent we still remain dependent people. In order to become more free, you need to try to get rid of our habits, needs, addictions.
What are the dependencies?
Addictions are natural, such as eating, sleeping, etc. And the dependencies are unnecessary, i.e. other. For example, the same smoking, since it is not a natural occupation for a person. Or the habit of heating water in an electric kettle (this is faster, I know) instead of prolonged heating on a stove or fire. Such small dependencies are actually darkness. Everyone, having rummaged in himself, will be able to find their mass. At first glance, they seem ridiculous because they are. Well, what is there - to heat the water with an electric kettle, well, it's stupidity! That's right, stupidity, but this habit arose at the moment when electric kettles began to appear in stores, improving the life of a city dweller. Therefore, now, boiling water in an electric kettle, we must buy it, and also use electricity,which is not free (kettles consume electricity up to 1-2 kW). The kettle has broken, the heating element has burned out - go and buy a new one, because you are used to it and cannot do otherwise. Stupidity, but from such petty nonsense and trifles our lack of freedom accumulates, which sometimes turns out to be worse than dependence on the same smoking.
Many of you will not like this definition. You say, it turns out that in order to be free, you need to want nothing? Why then live at all? The question is good and correct. Why do we need this freedom at all? And if you use my interpretation, it will be more accurate to say why we need this Absolute Freedom? Limitless and comprehensive. And then people have a meaning, people make a sacrifice, sacrificing their freedoms (minor freedoms) for the sake of something and / or someone. Of course, if we want unlimited and maximum possible freedom, then we will strive with all our might to free ourselves from as many addictions as possible, but this does not always seem to be the best option for building our life. At some point, the thought arises to stop and no longer try to go along this scale to the highest division. Sometimes you should keep some dependencies for yourself, not be killed by them, but work on another …
Author: Oleg Prikhodko