The absence of freedom
“sometimes the lack of freedom can be a good thing”
“Freedom” is a concept that most people in the past centuries have been thinking about, especially Philosophers. It has been constantly argued and evaluated to a certain extent in understanding its meaning. Philosophers — Albert Camus, Jean Paul Sartre, Thomas Hobbes, and John Stuart Mill have presented their own thoughts from a political and existential standpoint. They agree on freedom, but disagree on how wide it should be.
In the modern era, millennials like myself have thought of chasing Freedom. In a world filled with social and political rules, it’s easy to lose self identity and live a life constrained by these institutions. We believe that attaining it, is a critical component of happiness. However, we need to understand to a degree if whether individuals are born free or whether we should be free. After reflecting on what Freedom really means, I came to believe to a degree that the absence of Freedom and a degree of Freedom are required for our sanity.
French Existentialist Philosopher Jean Paul Sartre popularised the axiom “existence precedes being”. Sartre differentiates between two types of being. “Being-in-itself” and “Being-for-itself”. Being-in-itself are non-conscious beings or things while Being-for-itself are beings of consciousness or people capable of comprehending, reflecting, and acting in the world. The key difference between the two is the former’s existence precedes its being. It means that its being or value has been pre-determined before it even exist. While the latter, humans exist without a pre-determined purpose. Freedom after existence.
This is where the problem arise, the concept lies within being lost in Freedom. Humans are believed to be born as nothing and we have every right to choose who we want to be. We can only imagine that being “Free” in this world can lead to an existential crisis.
A famous German novelist Franz Kafka famously quoted:
“I am free and that is why I’m lost”
Socially, being born from a certain race and culture, specific rules and conventions are followed to retain identity. In this instance to a degree humans are not born free, an absence of Freedom. The upside in this context is that we have a pre-determined guideline on how life should be lived or acted. It allows us to escape ourselves and focus on areas outside of us. Education, religion, and politics give us foundation on the way life should be lived. A pathway that allows us to live harmoniously. This helps us avoid the inherent existentialism of anguish and meaninglessness. Imagine born in a world where social rules and conventions do not exist and we are bound to do whatever we desire? We can only imagine that the world be filled with chaos and sorrow. While the absence of Freedom has its importance, a degree of freedom is also as important.
The key problem lies in the degree of adhering to these institutions. The ability of losing oneself and living a life away from self-authenticity. A life of self-surrender. Hence, retaining a degree of freedom is important. While living under the social construct, we should also seek to understand our own mysteries and beliefs that help us reach our human potential. Living deeply than broadly. Understanding both limitations and boundaries of Freedom help us achieve what it means to be human.
“Individuals must surrender all of their rights to the Leviathan under the social contract, except for one fundamental right — the right for self-preservation” — Thomas Hobbes — -
