Abstract
One of the most misused and mischaracterized and misunderstood ethical and political concepts is that of freedom. It is a constant political refrain not only in the United States but throughout the world. For example, in the United States as well as elsewhere, mandatory mask wearing mandates are presented as an egregious affront to freedom. Vaccination mandates are a form of tyrannical oppression. The idea of freedom underlying these positions is that “I should be free to do whatever I want to do. Freedom is advanced as an absolute ethical and political value. All other values should be secondary to freedom. Is this realistic? Can this view be the basis of sound public policy? Is such a view justifiable? What are the implications of this radical view of freedom? This paper argues that this view of freedom is incompatible with modern political society and is really grounded in the political philosophy of anarchism. This paper: (1) Examines the different meanings of freedom as presented in the thought of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant and Hegel, (2) Examines the argumentative sufficiency of current definitions of freedom and (3) Presents a conception of freedom that is workable, politically and intellectually, today.
Presenters
John RayProfessor, Liberal Studies/Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Montana Technological University, Montana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Civic, Political, and Community Studies
KEYWORDS
FREEDOM, PHILOSOPHY, COMMUNITY
