What is Freedom?

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Philosophy Now
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What is Freedom?

Post by Philosophy Now »

Each answer below receives a book. Apologies to the entrants not included.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/143/What_is_Freedom
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Sculptor
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Re: What is Freedom?

Post by Sculptor »

Freedom is the determination to act purely endogenously, separated from from immediate exogenous influences.

The paradox is that we grow and learn largely from those endogenous influences which structure our consciousness and cerebral activity, and so there is no act that is nor in some way determined by those outside forces.
Ultimate freedom can only be achieved if you live your life in a box without light, language or food or any other trappings of reality.

But for practical parlance freedom is acting without someone pointing a gun at your head.
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attofishpi
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Re: What is Freedom?

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Skip
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Re: What is Freedom?

Post by Skip »

It's a concept imagined by humans, variously defined by humans, supposedly desired by humans, never fully attained. There can be partial and limited freedoms of, from and to but nobody is absolutely free of social constraint or self-limitation, even if they can be free of physical restraint, legal constraint and personal obligation. Human societies are constantly debating and negotiating and occasional clashing violently over the n-dimensional balance of freedoms an interdependent and ambitious species affords the members of its various tribes.
Olocyni
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Re: What is Freedom?

Post by Olocyni »

Freedom is the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any external determining force. The fundamental freedoms is based on the rights to equal protection under the law, freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of movement within the country, right to privacy, marriage and property.
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