Each little kid who learns the word freedom for the first time always believes that freedom allows him to do whatever he wants. This is the first and rather unified image of FREEDOM we all grew out of. It is very primitive and naïve, very childish definition of the term.
First limitation comes when we learn the word respect. It happens when in elementary school we learn to walk in line and speak in turn to show “respect” to our teachers and our mates. I, personally, disagree that I show respect to a person by just letting him or her to complete the thought in a conversation. I believe that it is a matter of manners not respect. I may respect my opponent very much but interrupt the monolog and the other way around I may completely disrespect the point of view, but allow my opponent to complete the thought. So in the elementary school when teaching the kids how to take turns in a conversation I would call it teaching them manners, not respect. When a kid acquires the manners he or she experiences the first cut on the societal freedoms.
Manners are important for the people so the society could function smoothly. If you love to play your music very loudly the society will allow you to do so only by a specific time, your freedom to play loud music is in conflict with the freedom of those who love their environment to be quiet. To satisfy the two freedoms society created the rules and it has the power to enforce those rules. Good manners teach you to limit your freedom by yourself.
Next step in learning about limitations to our first definition of FREEDOM comes in middle and high school when we learn that to do whatever we want we need money. This is a point where many of us stop and begin to do anything to make more money and buy more stuff or services to feel free. I am not sure that this definition of freedom is satisfactory, because by this definition those who have more money are “more” free than those who make less money. My life experience showed that the more money one has the more responsibilities he/she is expected to take on which, naturally, means less freedom. Of course, there are some who do not accept the responsibilities, but they often do not end well.
Some of us, especially those who are philosophically inclined and read some philosophical books and articles, learned that “FREEDOM” is impossible because all those limitations take it all away. They would say - you can’t be free from the society you live in, you can’t be free from your family demands, you can’t be free even in choosing how you make your money to provide for your everyday needs.
The next interesting observation about freedom is that it’s different for different people. I am talking about nations not individuals. Their history affected the view on their freedom. For example, Americans believe that they are free, but in this country you can’t survive if you don’t have a job, or two jobs, or even three jobs. What kind of freedom is that? Americans live to work, not work to live. Too many Americans do not have time or energy to stop and think about their freedom, they just mechanically repeat after media how free their land is. Maybe land is free for some, but I have deep concern for the people. Very early in their childhood they accepted the limitations to their freedoms and call themselves free. Maybe that is wise.
When russians come to America they can’t stop laughing at stupid Americans and their imaginary freedoms. They laugh skipping lines, laugh cutting in front of traffic, laugh at American obedience to the laws. They laugh because russians have two worlds for liberty – freedom and will – свобода и воля. Freedom is what the law allows you and Will has no limitations. Russians do not respect the laws that limit their will. It took me a long time and many attempts to explain to my daughter russian saying «Вольному – воля». You can’t explain “Freedom to the free one”, it does not make sense. She finally understood it when I said something like “You will if you will” She really got it. She even wanted to tattoo this saying in russian on her arms. She was young then :) and she and her sister, and their friends had many whole-night conversations about freedoms, free will, religions, and got very philosophical about all of that.
I don’t know much about many other nations, but I do understand that in Japan samurai was freely cutting his guts out. Somehow that does not happen our days. So, maybe, in Japan the sense of freedom changed with time. The same is true about jihad in many muslim nations, I am talking about volunteers who kill themselves in order to save the honor. I do understand that in both cases we are talking about fanatical behavior, but their upbringing made them do what they did freely. Is that freedom or not, I am not the judge. All I am trying to do is to show how differently we define freedom.
There have always been other philosophers, who were talking about personal freedom without your relationship with the society. Freedom to be yourself, freedom to choose your path, freedom to live the life of your choice not what the society expects from you. Sometimes your life and the society’s expectations of it are the same, but not for all of us.
My children finally came to the conclusion that freedom does not exist. Even more, they deny themselves freedom of choice. Their conclusion was that we do what we have to do and free will is imaginary. Conversation continues.
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