Who is more free?

Question: Who is more free!?

The Prisoner!?

or

The Prison Guard!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It depends on the aspect of freedom that you are considering here!. Freedom is such a broad concept that can not be reduced to mere physical freedom!.

The prision guard enjoys of more physical freedom than the prisoner but this does not imply that the prisoner is not in possession of his inherent human freedom!.
Both the prisoner and the prision guard are inherently free!. They both, as humans, have the inhate hability to determine their thoghts, their feelings, their actions, their opinions and their general and basic views on reality and on life: This is the ultimate human freedom that no one can take away from you!.

In one of Epictetus stories, relating of that roman senator that in one strike of bad fortune had lost everything he had and on top of that sent to exile!. When asked if he had forgotten anything, he simply said: Omnia mea mecum porto!.(All of mine, i carry with me) What is this all of his he refers to if not his freedom!? His mind, His intellect, His spirirt, His humanity!?

Answering then your question, they are both free, and both are restricted in their freedom in some aspect that the other one doesn't share!.

Hey, the prision guard may feel trapped on a job he despises and would wish to break free from it, but in this matter the prisoner couldn't care less, he is free from this care!. The prision guard can go wherever he wants, unlike the prisoner, but this doesn't mean that he can actually enjoy this freedom maybe due to ignorance or fear or conformism, etc: limitations of freedom as well!.

Excellent and very meaningul question, thanks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Freedom can be summarized as the ability to refuse!.

If a prisoner refuses to be confined, he is caught and re-confined!. Often he cannot even refuse to eat, to participate in activities, or to not engage in others without major repurcussions!.

The guard, on the other hand, does have expectations during his job and in society as a whole, but he is free to quit his job and even abandon society as well if he chooses!. No one is really going to stop him if he does!. By this standard, that makes him way more free!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The prisoner!. He is use to crime and he gets to hang with his own crowd!. The prison guards mind is probably haunted by what he sees everyday!. Prisoners just seem to like it there, books, time to read them, painting time to paint!. The guard is almost a prisoner cause he has to suffer the feelings of these prisoners everyday, and has done no wrong!. HE gets to leave only to know he has to return!. Prisoners know they cant go so they get use to it and is no matter!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The prisoner!.
He will be released one day, while the prison guard has to come back every day to work!. He`s just a small part of a defending, but also defensive machine!. Even when one day he finds another job or retires, he`s marked for the rest of his life with the memories of things he`s done or seen in prison!. The prison is in his thoughts!.
While the prisoner tries to forget quickly the past, and looks more in the future !. "Now I`m free, I`ll live the rest of my life"!. He`s also free to choose how exactly to live it and whether to commit another crime or stay clean!.
What kind of a person should you be to become a prison guard!? I knew one, and he was afraid of his own shadow!. It`s a myth that all the men working as guards are fearless and moral, honored by serving their duty to the country!. A big part of them are definately using their position, so they can get rid of their own complexes and fear, parading to the belong to the force, and being the force themselves!.
Conclusion: a prisoner is living in prison, but thinking of freedom!. The guard is living in freedom, but his thought and emotions are always somehow destorted by the bars of jail!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I actually think that the prisoner is actually more free in a sense because in this day and age, prison is not exactly horrible as such, they still have TV, snooker, socialising etc!. Whereas, the guard, although he can still go home at the end of his shift, is still stuck inside those walls, day in and day out maybe even risking his life being with murderers etc, and having to go in on his shifts most days, almost like a prisoner himself!. Mind u, i suppose it depends on how much he enjoys the job!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Prison Guard!.
The prisoner has had his free will taken away!. He is told when to awaken and when to go to sleep, when and what to eat and when he can take a shower!. He sleeps, eats and showers were he is told!. He can not leave until his time is up!.
Someone makes choices for him!.

The guard comes and goes according to his schedule!. Eats what he wants!. He can quit and do something else!. He makes his own choices!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Before I consider your question as a whole, I'd like to ponder over the meaning of "free!." Standard and common sense definitions say that freedom is exemption from external control or confinement (e!.g!. slavery)!. However, from a philisophical point of view, freedom is this and more!.

Freedom is a responsibility!.

In Irvin Yalom's words, "Freedom means that one is responsible for one's own choices, actions, one's own life situation" (in Love's Executioner, 1989)!.

Freedom is a curse!.

According to Jean Paul Satre, "Man is condemned to be free!." We think of freedom as this positive idyllic thing, yet freedom is something we cannot escape once we have it or it enters our consciousness!. Freedom is having a choice--no matter if the external world be limited!. Choice gives birth to consequences!. In effect, we are responsible for the consequences of our choices in life--and that is the curse, because there is only one person to blame for our wretched condition: ourselves!.

Now returning to your question, who is more free, the prisoner or the prison guard!? I think neither is more or less free because both are bound to a freedom that implies choices and consequences!. The prisoner's freedom, ironically, has led him to a life of confinement!. Now that we understand freedom in the philisophical sense, we can realize that the prisoner is still very free, though his external world is limited!.

As for the prison guard, he is just as free (or condemned, as Satre would say)!.

Freedom goes beyond the physical realm (slavery, prison)!. Its internal, external; tangible, intangible!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

interesting question!.

I would say the prison guard is MORE free but not completely free!. I don't know if any of us are free from our jobs!.

This reminds me of Alcatraz!. did you know the workers lived on the island with the prisoners!? Interesting concept!. (See link below for info on family life on the rock if interested)

But yes, to answer your question I would have to say that because the workers get to leave and have more free will, they are technically more free!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Prison Guard-
he did no crime and has no problem with God!. The Prison Guard may go as he pleases and can go home and see his family and as a live beyond the prison!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

its so ******* relative that we can't just answer with yes or now

anyway the guard can decide what he'll lunch so we can think that is himWww@QuestionHome@Com

prisoner if prison guard is there all of the time!. but i will assume he gets to go home, so i think the prison guard is more free!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Prison Guard, as he/she can go home when their work shift is over!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

prisonerWww@QuestionHome@Com