Freedom is an important concept. People who are in jail or living under an oppressive government often long for it. And people who are not in these situations also want to have it. But what exactly does freedom mean?
A basic definition of freedom is the power or right to act as one wishes without interference from outside sources. But even this is too broad a definition to fully describe what freedom means. It can’t be defined simply as the absence of constraint, because every action has its own constraints. A person can be free to choose a path of action that is not constrained but can still be dangerous or harmful to others. Similarly, someone can be free to do what they want but not have the money or resources to do so.
So a more useful way to think about freedom is to consider the freedoms that people need and want to have in order to function well in society. This can include a wide range of things from the ability to express their opinions to the freedom to choose their lifestyles. Some of these are more important than others.
For example, a person can be free to practice their religion without fear of government repression or persecution. This is a fundamental liberty that everyone should have, and if it isn’t being fulfilled, it should be a concern for us all.
The freedom to have what we want is closely related to the freedom to speak out against injustices and to organize public protests. It is also linked to the freedom of association – the right to form clubs, societies, trade unions and political parties with whomever we wish – and the freedom to peaceful assembly – the right to hold public meetings. These are all important aspects of what it means to be free in the modern world, and they are under threat around the globe.
Freedom is also related to the ability to learn and grow. The more freedom a person has, the greater their potential to develop in all areas of life. For example, learning a new language is a great way to increase your freedom of speech. Learning to play a musical instrument will expand your freedom of expression and allow you to communicate with more people in your life.
So a good definition of freedom might be the ability to choose and change as you see fit, but not to do anything that is damaging or harmful to others. To put it another way, if you are allowed to bang on the piano keys as much as you want, you’re not going to produce beautiful music. But if you have an instructor who guides you with discipline, then you can produce wonderful tunes that will delight and inspire those around you. Similarly, the more freedom you have, the more you can contribute to the betterment of mankind and the future of our planet.