Today I would like to propose a (potentially contentious) idea that as a society, our idea of freedom as being limitless is both unattainable and undesirable.
What do I mean by ‘freedom’
Freedom can mean many things depending on the context in which it arises. Political freedom, liberty, freedom of choice, speech and movement are different faces of freedom, all of which are highly valued and written into the sovereign constitutions of different countries across the globe. Financial freedom is another form of freedom. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines “freedom” as:
- the power or right to act, speak, or think freely. > the state of having free will.
- the state of being free. > unrestricted use of something.
Essentially, freedom can be defined as the ability to pursue a life one desires without restriction.
Two Reasons this is Unattainable
- Freedoms are often mutually exclusive.
One person’s exertion of limitless freedom can impede on another’s freedom. This is a fact that is evident in the many legal disputes we see happening around us. Indeed, one of the key functions of the legal system is to solve the problems that arise when two or more ‘freedoms’ clash.
Let me give a basic (but extreme) example to illustrate this point. One individual exercising their unrestricted freedom to act as they desire leads them to murder somebody. This directly impedes on (and destroys) the victim’s freedom to pursue the life she desires.
It is clear that limitless freedom cannot exist because no one person’s life and actions are ever isolated from others’ lives and actions. At the very best, freedom can be carefully-balanced across society so that everyone is fairly and equally restricted.
2. Our physical environment teaches us about limits
I truly believe that we can learn a lot from nature. It is beautiful, full of abundance and energy, yet it has its own laws and boundaries within which it thrives. As part of nature, we are all subjected to the law of entropy and the law of gravity, for example, as well as the carrying capacity of the earth and the finite characteristics of many of the earth’s resources.
The very physicality of our existence is restricted. Freedom in its full form cannot be limitless if the environment in which it manifests is limited by design.
Why is limitless freedom undesirable?
Aside from my murderous example above, there are many cases where limitless freedom gives rise to negative outcomes. The basic idea of capitalism is that when individuals act in their own self-interest, they create an outcome that is best for society as a whole. However, when we are faced with a finite resource, each individual acting in their own best interest and exploiting that resource will only lead to the depletion of the resource and leave society worse off (this has become known as the ‘tragedy of the commons‘).
So what now?
I am by no means advocating for a society in which our freedoms are highly restricted. Rather, the point I am making is that it is naive to think of freedom as limitless. Thought precedes action, so understanding how finely-balanced freedoms can fit into our society and into our environment is the starting point for creating a better world.
Only when we acknowledge the limits we face and start to respect them can we experience the best that freedom has to offer: the opportunity to lead a life that offers space to create and to express, whilst being cognisant and respectful of society and the environment.
