Position:Home>Philosophy> 1.What is the Nature of Human freedom?..?

1!. The will is absolutely free, though the scope of action is always limited by interfering circumstances (i!.e!. of economic status, state interference, etc!. etc!.) When I say the will is absolutely free, what I mean is that for every choice made, one has the ability to have chosen differently or to have withheld assent from choice!. However, in order to exercise this freedom in a social context, we must ensure that an agent is capable of taking responsibility for his choices, meaning the free agent must also be a rational agent!.

As pertains to Youth, the State takes the position that minors have not yet reached the age where they can reason on the same level as an adult!. Therefore, they cannot be expected to take full responsibility for their actions as an adult can and their freedoms are likewise limited!. However, education and social conditioning ready youth for the enormous reponsibility that comes from being a rational, free agent in society!.


2!. In my view, treating people justly is a matter of treating people with respect, and is, furthermore, a moral duty!. The so-called “Classical” Liberal position is that all human beings, inasmuch as they are free and moral agents, have a certain amount of inherent worth and dignity!. Furthermore, they are all deserving of a certain basic standard of treatment by virtue of this free, moral agency!. Bluntly, human beings have certain rights which other human beings have a duty to observe and uphold!.

The principle by which we determine these fundamental “Rights of Man” is by application of a certain, universal maxim we observe as an imperative for treating people generally!. Why do we restrict ourselves to considering the moral value of the maxim only, and not of the intended consequences of the action!? In short, the intended consequences of an action are necessarily bound up in the subjective preferences of the agent, and so must be excluded to arrive at an objective morality, which is our goal!. In our analysis, an act can only have moral worth when it is carried out solely with regard to moral duty!. Furthermore, it is not sufficient for the act to be merely consistent with duty, but it must be exacted in the name of moral duty!.

So, which maxim is consistent with the moral duty!? In the Kantian formulation, such a maxim must have a universal quality, because to be objective, it must hold irrespective of the particular individuals and circumstances involved!. Thus, Kant formulates the Categorical Imperative: that we must "act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law!."

It should not take long to see that we therefore have a perfect duty to "act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end!." To treat free, moral agents as mere means to an end would, as universal law, be to deny freedom in general, leading to a logical contradiction!. This is where the inherent dignity of man comes from – our moral duty to treat him always as an end in himself!. As moral agents, we have a duty not to lie to, steal from, or kill others; therefore, it is not inconsistent to say that human beings have a right to be treated in this way!. In short, justice is simply respect of the Rights of Man, which result from upholding the Categorical Imperative!.


Source: "A Brief Account of Justice - Coming to Polemarchus’ Defense in the Face of Platonic Sophistry"!. Christian Hegele (me!) (4/11/2008)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Is this a homework assignment or something!? From whose perspective!? My own!? Immanuel Kant's!?
Human Freedom is an illusion!. Everything is caused by a direct and indirect collection of preceding events!. Everything is driven to its destination automatically, your sense of 'awareness' is just along for the ride!.
Dignity has roots in pride, vanity and selfishness!. It's the belief that you're above something!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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maturity!.
A child is dependent thus "needs" friends like him/her to meet it's basics needs!.
an adult is independent and "wants" friends to help make life better!.One can only experience freedom, or value it when one is mature!. If your parents couldn't do it, you have to raise yourself to be independent and mature!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I might be using an odd angle here!.!.!.but freedom is only something that defines restrictions!. From day one our minds know nothing but to be free!.!.!.not knowing any type of restriction!. As we grow throughout our youth we are tought what we are not free to do, usually by parents, teachers, and society!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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wow first thing that came to my mind was "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains!."
=]Www@QuestionHome@Com

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1!. Born to be free

2!. "A good scare is worth more to man than good advice"
by Edgar Watson HoweWww@QuestionHome@Com

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