Freedom

2.1 THE IDEAL OF FREEDOM

– Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” recounts his personal struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the collective resistance of his people.
– The apartheid regime imposed various constraints on black South Africans, such as segregation, restricted movement, and limitations on marriage choices.
– Mandela and his colleagues fought to remove these unjust constraints and obstacles to freedom for all South Africans, regardless of race.
– Mandela endured 28 years of imprisonment, including solitary confinement, as a result of his pursuit of freedom.
– Aung San Suu Kyi, inspired by Gandhi’s principles of non-violence, faced house arrest in Myanmar, separated from her family and unable to visit her dying husband.
– Aung San Suu Kyi saw freedom as intertwined with the freedom of her people, emphasizing the importance of living free from fear to lead a dignified human life.
– The experiences of Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the struggles against colonialism in Asia and Africa highlight the power of the ideal of freedom in national and global contexts.

2.2 WHAT IS FREEDOM?

– Freedom is the absence of external constraints on individuals, allowing them to make independent decisions and act autonomously.
– Freedom also involves creating conditions for individuals to express themselves and develop their potential.
– In a free society, individuals can develop their talents with minimal social constraints.
– The relationship between the individual and society determines which constraints are justified and which should be removed.
– Freedom has both a negative aspect (absence of constraint) and a positive aspect (expansion of individual choice and development).
– A free society enables individuals, groups, and nations to chart their own destiny and pursue interests with minimal restrictions.
– Freedom is valued for its ability to allow individuals to make choices, exercise judgment, and use their powers of reason and judgment.

SWARAJ

– Swaraj, a concept in Indian political thought, combines the ideas of self-rule and rule over oneself.
– In the Indian freedom struggle, Swaraj represented both a political demand and a social-collective value.
– Mahatma Gandhi emphasized the aspect of ruling oneself in his work Hind Swaraj, stating that true Swaraj is when individuals learn to govern themselves.
– Swaraj involves redeeming self-respect, self-responsibility, and self-realization from dehumanizing institutions.
– Understanding the true self and its relationship with communities and society is crucial for achieving Swaraj.
– Gandhiji believed that the development resulting from Swaraj would unlock individual and collective potential guided by the principle of justice.
– The relevance of this understanding remains significant in the twenty-first century, just as it was when Gandhiji wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909.

The Sources of Constraints

– Restrictions on freedom can arise from domination, external controls, and government-imposed laws backed by force.
– Colonial rulers and apartheid in South Africa exemplify such constraints on freedom.
– Democratic government allows people to retain some control over their rulers, promoting freedom.
– Social inequality, such as the caste system, and extreme economic inequality can also limit freedom.
– Efforts must be made to remove these constraints, as emphasized by the quote from Subhas Chandra Bose.

2.3 WHY DO WE NEED CONSTRAINTS?

– Constraints are necessary in society to prevent chaos and manage conflicts arising from differences in ideas, opinions, and ambitions.
– Mechanisms to control violence and settle disputes are needed to maintain social order.
– Respecting each other’s views and avoiding the imposition of one’s beliefs on others allows for a freer society with minimal constraints.
– The creation of a free society requires respecting differences and engaging in discussions and debates without coercive imposition.
– Legal and political restraints may be necessary to protect individuals from bullying or harassment that restrict their freedom.
– The challenge lies in determining which constraints on freedom are necessary and justifiable.
– The question arises as to who has the authority to dictate what can and cannot be done by individuals.
– Consideration should be given to identifying areas of life and action that should be free from external constraints.

LIBERALISM

– Liberalism is often associated with tolerance as a political ideology.
– Liberalism emphasizes the value of individual rights and freedom of expression.
– Liberals prioritize individual decision-making over family, societal, or community influence.
– Individual liberty is given precedence over equality by liberals.
– Liberals are generally wary of political authority.
– In the past, liberalism supported a free market and limited state intervention, but contemporary liberalism recognizes the role of the welfare state and the need to address social and economic inequalities.

2.4 HARM PRINCIPLE

– The issue of constraints on freedom requires consideration of limits, competence, and consequences of imposition.
– John Stuart Mill’s “harm principle” states that interference with individual liberty is justified only for self-protection or to prevent harm to others.
– Mill distinguishes between “self-regarding” actions that affect only the individual and “other regarding” actions that have consequences for others.
– External interference is warranted for actions causing harm to others, but not for self-regarding actions.
– The harm caused must be serious for legal constraints, while minor harm should be addressed through social disapproval.
– Constraints imposed by law should only occur when other-regarding actions cause serious harm to specific individuals.
– Tolerance should be extended to different ways of life and viewpoints that do not cause harm, but not to actions that endanger or promote hatred.
– Reasonable restrictions are justifiable constraints that should be defended by reason and not excessive or disproportionate.
– The habit of imposing restrictions should be avoided to preserve overall freedom in society.

2.5 NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE LIBERTY

– Negative liberty refers to the absence of external constraints and the existence of an inviolable area of non-interference.
– It focuses on the idea of “freedom from” external interference and emphasizes human dignity and autonomy.
– Positive liberty is concerned with the idea of “freedom to” and aims to create conditions that enable individual development.
– It addresses the relationship between the individual and society, emphasizing resources, participation, and access to education.
– Both negative and positive liberty can complement each other, but tyrants may misuse arguments of positive liberty to justify their rule.

Freedom of Expression

– Freedom of expression is considered part of the minimum area of non-interference.
– Bans on books, films, and academic articles have been demanded in the past, posing a challenge to freedom of expression.
– Banning is a harmful short-term solution that can develop into a habit and threaten long-term freedom.
– The question arises: When should banning be justified? Censorship of films is an example of limited banning.
– Constraints on freedom of expression exist in different contexts, such as contractual agreements, but voluntary acceptance of restrictions does not curtail freedom.
– Coercion is the key factor in determining whether freedom is genuinely limited.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

– John Stuart Mill advocated for freedom of expression, including for ideas that may be considered false or misleading.
– He argued that even ideas deemed false contain elements of truth, and banning them would result in the loss of that valuable insight.
– The conflict of opposing views is essential for the emergence and development of truth over time.
– Ongoing debates and exposure to opposing ideas help prevent truth from becoming a stagnant and unexamined belief.
– Suppressing ideas that are currently deemed unacceptable risks missing out on valuable knowledge that may be later recognized as true.

Conclusion

– Freedom encompasses both the absence of external constraints and our ability to make choices.
– With the freedom to make choices comes the responsibility for our actions and their outcomes.
– Advocates of liberty emphasize the importance of children being raised by parents, as it is through nurturing and education that our capacity for making informed choices and assuming responsibility is developed.
– Building judgment and cultivating the ability to assess options in a reasoned manner are crucial aspects of fostering our capacity to make the right choices.
– Limiting the authority of the state and society is necessary for preserving individual freedom alongside the cultivation of personal responsibility.