What Is an Actual Freedom - Essay Example

Freedom Freedom refers to an individual’s ability to make independent decisions. However, this term is relative subject to its many applications in diverse spheres of life. The term also means a person’s ability to act autonomously without any condition. Freedom is a derivative of the word free, which means the state of being under no control or constraint. This term is used in a different manner, subject to cultural beliefs. For instance, the traditional African beliefs stipulate that a woman has freedom so long as she is submissive to her husband. Additionally, some people consider the aspect of migration to greener pastures as equivalent to attaining freedom. People prefer to migrate to first world countries to achieve their freedom. This is because of the economic and financial endowment of these nations. All the same, freedom is usually pursued at a cost. For instance, during war times, the soldiers fight for freedom, but they lose their lives in the process. This implies that freedom is a misnomer in some instances. The definition of freedom is also subject to the ideologies held by different people. For instance, the judges define freedom subject to the truthfulness of a case at hand while other professions like accountancy perceive freedom to be attained when the statements of account reflect affair and transparent view, which satisfies the shareholders of a company. According to Suarez, freedom means the state of being safe, secure and having confidence in the incumbent government (34). Some people perceive freedom as the ability to seek audience and be heard without any retribution. This aspect streams from the penal code of the constitution of some nations, which guarantees the freedom of speech. According to the religious people, freedom means the ability to worship God anywhere, anyhow, and with any person unconditionally. Historically, freedom meant the ability to break free from the yoke of slavery. In the past, the slave trade was practiced in many first world countries. This entailed the punishment and exploitation of the people who were subjected to the slavery. Furthermore, the slave’s human rights were often violated without recourse. In this regard, freedom was the best gift for such enslaved people. In the world of politics, freedom means the state of democracy of a nation. Usually, this is paradoxical, given that the majority rule of democracy does not consider the minority. In essence, this does not guarantee satisfaction for the minority group. Freedom has a different meaning in the economic aspect. According to Suarez, economic freedom is achieved when a state of equilibrium has been attained in the goods, services, money, and security markets of a nation (47). Freedom in this case pertains to the stability of an economy. Financial freedom implies the state of being able to finance any project at hand regardless of its nature. For example, the ability to finance all investments and purchase of assets and recurrent expenditure is considered financial freedom. Freedom of ownership is another aspect which gives freedom a different meaning from the rest of the meanings. This refers to the right over specific properties. This allows people to claim the ownership of different properties without any constraint. Freedom in the psychological aspect implies the state of a peaceful mind and calm. Suarez asserts that freedom of conscience is a state of being free of stress and depression (56). Some people consider freedom to be the ability to do things without reference to the environment. For instance, ladies will claim to have freedom when they are not accountable to anybody with regard to their manner of dressing. In this respect, freedom is subjective. This owes to the fact that the freedom of one person will limit the freedom of other people. In this scenario, the environment constitutes of people, institutions, the nation, and the society. The term also means the ability to achieve goals and change the environment with regard to personal preference. Freedom means a quite different thing for a student. It means the ability to successfully evade classes and successfully sneak out of school without being noticed. The constitution guarantees various forms of freedom, which include the freedom of speech, association, movement, and free conscience (Suarez 68). The freedom of association means that a person has the right to associate with any person. In addition, the freedom of movement implies that people have the freedom of moving from one place to another unconditionally. The freedom of conscience refers to the state of being free of any guilt and condemnation. This leads to a peace of mind and sobriety. These forms of freedom are guaranteed by the constitution, so long as the rights of another person are not infringed. Freedom can be termed as love. Without freedom, there is no love, and without love there cannot be freedom (Suarez 71). The other form of freedom pertains to the press. The freedom of press is the right of the public to receive information from the media without any interference. This is a source of other forms of freedom like the freedom of information, whereby a person has a right to information. This enables people to decide on what to do in various instances. Freedom of speech is guaranteed, so long as it does not spread hatred and political euphoria, which destabilizes public peace and order. The cost of freedom is great given that pursuing freedom can lead to loss of property, money, fame, health, and break-down of emotions. Peace and freedom are akin, and in consequence, they are complementary. When peace prevails, then freedom has automatically been achieved. The other term that can be used in place of freedom is equality. The latter term is subject to justice and fairness. In this regard, it can be used as freedom. Freedom is manifest in the short story of Kate Chopin’s ‘Awakening’. In this story, Edna, the protagonist, is a mother and wife, who defies society’s norms in search of her personal freedom (Bloom 46). Society expects her to be submissive to her husband, do all home chores, and obey all the orders of her husband. Ednah goes against all societal norms to do all that she desires. The aspect of freedom should be subject to the universality of its application. Any action done by any person on account of freedom should comply with the universality principle. This principle means that an act should be comprehensively justified for it to be considered as freedom. The former president of America, Abraham Lincoln, gave liberty and freedom to the slaves during the great emancipation in American history. The practice of slavery had taken root in America. This pardon was perceived as freedom for the slaves while it was disappointment for the slave masters. This was the paradox in the Lincoln emancipation decree. Freedom is an antidote for determinism. This is because freedom enables people to be free from instructions. Suarez asserts that excessive freedom is usually counterproductive and misleading (93). This is because much freedom compromises sound judgment of a person. Works cited Bloom, Harold. Kate Chopin. New York, NY: Chelsea House, 2007. Print. Suarez, Daniel. Freedom. London: Quercus, 2011. Print.             Read More