What is Freedom?

What is freedom? It is almost certain that there is not a human being on the face of this planet that is free in the true and complete sense of this term. It is probably just as certain that (because no one has ever experienced true and complete freedom) its meaning cannot be fully understood. We can attempt to describe the effects of a lack of freedom in many areas of life, and we can attempt to describe areas of human life where a relative exercise of freedom is more apparent. But to understand its full operation is not possible at the present time. In fact, the call and cry for freedom has echoed through the pages of the history of man. But again, what is freedom?

A tentative list to which freedom or a lack of freedom bears a relationship might be as follows:

• physical well-being, or health
• psychological balance or mental health
• developmental freedom or freedom to develop cognitively and emotionally on the basis of wholesome inputs
• economic freedom or financial security without compromising human dignity and ethical principles
• occupational freedom or freedom to pursue wholesome productive employment without the abuses and demeaning
• compromises of sheer necessity
• cultural freedom or freedom from the binding aspects of social
  misconceptions and pressures
• perceptual freedom or freedom from forming erroneous ideas
• educational freedom or freedom from assimilating inaccurate information
• freedom to follow individual conscience as our understanding of issues clarifies
• freedom from debilitating fears
• ethical freedom or freedom obtained through treating ourselves
  and others justly
• love engendered freedom – in other words, because love is so considerate of the needs of others, by its very nature it promotes freedom or liberty
• freedom from death or freedom from the sense of certainty of ultimate loss of ourselves or loved ones
• freedom to reach full human potential

While it is obvious that freedom, in the highest sense of its definition is not the experience of any of the members of the human race, there is a sense in which some degree of freedom has been and is experienced by many. There is also a sense in which the history of the human race can be characterized by the aspiration and quest for freedom, and that some have exerted themselves legitimately, and some at the expense of others (which would amount to a transgression against self and others in the struggle to obtain true freedom). It seems needless to say that the benefits of true freedom can never be attained “unlawfully.” (The terms “lawful” and “unlawful” will be discussed in more detail.)

Liberty (Freedom) is not License

“Freedom” is a term with meaning of the highest philosophical order. Man has attempted to approximate and appreciate its significance and has only done so in proportion to the powers of reason he has applied to it.

Because we have never seen freedom in full operation, we will have to look at the effects of freedom on human beings. Liberty is synonymous with freedom, for to be liberated from something is to be freed from its suppressing power. But we need to make a distinction between liberty and license. Liberty or freedom always has the individual and collective good in mind. When one says that he should be free to do as he pleases no matter what, he automatically betrays his fundamental lack of understanding of what freedom constitutes. Words, thoughts, and actions must promote freedom for all and work for the general good. Selfishness – the desire to do whatever one wants – is not freedom. Anything that trespasses on the mental or physical well-being of another is not the exercise of freedom but is the violation of freedom. Also, anything that trespasses on the mental or physical well-being of another undermines the character of the perpetrator and actually detracts from and erodes his own freedom; good character is fundamental to the pursuit of freedom. The main point here is that freedom contains within its definition the utility of goodness in the ethical sense of that term.

Justice and love are the all-encompassing qualities that are required in order to promote and safeguard true freedom. Their ramifications can be easily seen to touch upon every point in the above list.

Justice and Love are Fundamental to Freedom

In our opinion the Bible provides the most philosophically comprehensive view that is obtainable on the subject of freedom. In Genesis it begins with man’s creation in a state of mental, moral, and physical freedom. It shows how man lost his freedom, as well as how that loss has affected the human race. The Bible goes on to demonstrate that freedom is not possible as long as man is alienated from God. Finally, it explains how freedom is to be restored to the human race.

Psalm 89: 14 states that justice and judgment are the foundation of God’s rule. Also, 1 John 4: 8 says that he that does not love does not know God for God is love. If God is the personification of love, and if the most fundamental aspect of God’s rule is justice, we must therefore conclude that the exercise of these two qualities, in their relationship to one another, constitutes the prime ingredients in obtaining true freedom.

The Perfect Law of Liberty

James 1: 25 speaks of “the perfect law of liberty”. He states that “Whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues to take heed to it, shall be blessed in his actions.” In other words, in proportion as we observe and exercise justice and love in the daily affairs of life, we shall not only be helpful to others but will be building good character in ourselves. It is a twofold blessing which promotes true freedom toward others as well as within ourselves. As true as this may be, and as much as living in this way will help to promote freedom, the human race as a whole cannot achieve comprehensive freedom in its present state. Only a comparative handful of humanity are committed to justice and love in all the affairs of daily life. The majority are so weakened by selfishness that at every turn the freedoms of others are infringed upon, often to the point of suppression and even murder.

James states that there is a “perfect law of liberty”. The law that promotes liberty is perfect, and that law is the law of love. All law possesses inherent power, whether it is the law of love or the law of gravity. The exercise of these and all laws have the power to effect change that is consistent with their exertions. Changeable rules and regulations that human governments enact through legislation are not laws of the same order. People in positions of power often decide what is lawful and what is unlawful.