WHAT IS FREEDOM?
I BELIEVE FREEDOM IS BEING FREE FROM YOUR THOUGHTS!
THOUGHTS ARE WHAT IS CAUSING US TO GO THROUGH SO MUCH OF PAIN AND SUFFERING AND IF ONE FREE THEMSELVES FROM THOUGHTS CAN GET OUT OF PAIN AND SUFFERING. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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I believe that freedom is opening oneself completely up to all possibilities. I don't know if it is thoughts that are hindering our freedom, but rather our prejudices and beliefs that we have grown up with. So in that sense, I agree with Russell who said that "the man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense..." Is it possible that philosophy is freedom? If we expand our minds and close down convictions then maybe that's the true freedom you're asking about.
ReplyDeleteFrom Sartre's point of view, humans are condemned to free. Our thoughts are decided by our choices which are decided by our morales. The more freedom we are given, the more choices we have, and therefore the more morales to be effected. Our morales usually help us make the "good" decision, so I believe that the suffering we feel is only produced by the knowledge that creates it. It's like if we ran someone over and killed him, we would feel terrible BECAUSE we knew that we did it. But if we just drove by without noticing, it wouldn't make a bit of difference (unless someone saw you do it ;P). So yes, I would say that your thoughts do lead you to pain on an emotional level.
ReplyDeletei believe that freedom is a physically condition a condition of spirit.All of us are free but if we choose to acknowledge it. We are all always free to change our thoughts, improve our knowledge and understanding it, change our attitudes and beliefs about freedom.And we also all are free our mind.however if we are restricted or imprisoned we are free.All of life is a thought, and the mind recognizes when you are physically free or not its work of intuitions. so my final point is that freedom is really perspective, and no matter what physical things are happening to a person, they can change their thoughts whenever they want.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is a tricky concept, especially in our society as there are still laws and boundaries which prevent us from living an entirely liberated life. But regardless of what is done publically, we still have our thoughts to our own selves which differentiate us from others. When we speak alowed our thoughts, as Sartre says, we lose our freedom as our language is left to interpretation.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to freedom of thought and our own pain and suffering, I think freedom comes from our mindset. In the Greek myth about Sisyphus, he was condemned by the Gods to the worst hell which was rolling a rock up the same hill each day and watching it roll down, only to start again the next day. Nevertheless; he figured out how to free himself and beat the Gods, through mindfulness of his surroundings and the moment. Our thoughts are something to, in my opinion, be grateful of and appreciate more. I think our minds are one of the only things in life that do bring us freedom. Camus was stuck in the prison waiting for death when he discovered the secret to freedom through his thoughts and appreciation of the present. Even though we experience emotional or (possibly) physical pain and suffering through our thoughts, not having them is a worse fate.
At my work today I saw an old man, who is going senile, with his son. The old man, Jack, was going the wrong way to get to the café where he has been going everyday for most of his life. His son, with a bit of irritation and despair, directed him the other way to the café. I heard an older women complain about her joints and bones, but then said she hopes to not lose her mind. I think our thoughts are what keep us alive in a way. Freedom is learning to appreciate our thoughts and being be in the moment.
Freedom is doing what you want to, without letting somebody else stop you. It's almost entirely impossible to be completely physically free. Our thoughts are probably the freest part of ourselves because we can keep them in our head, and make them be whatever we want them to be.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see freedom is being able to see and enjoy the world as it is and free from all biases and having open mind. Camus talked about debt being owned to the society, in that matter freedom means to live your live not lead by the customs and believes of the society but by the way you understand. Just like Russell lobbies about open mind, in order to see the world as it is, we can achieve freedom by having open mind.
ReplyDeleteI believe that freedom varies from person to person and that there is no set definition. I suppose that as long as the person feels liberated and believes they have rights (simply as bare necessities), then they are "free". Freedom could be the freedom of speech, or the freedom to marry whomever. It could be the freedom to walk around naked, or even to be able to read any piece of literature one may choose.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Xinrui.
ReplyDeleteEvery person has their own boundaries in which they keep themselves in or push themselves out of. Because of this, controversy is brought to attention since there are groups of people who follow certain different ways of life and those don't coincide with how other sets of people choose to live.
In a way, I suppose it is as you say, Pratha: freeing yourself from thoughts. May that be doubt, fear or anxiety that stop you from doing something, if you let that go, then you can achieve a higher level of freedom.
According to Sartre on Freedom...
ReplyDeleteSartre rejects determinism so completely that he believes that "man is freedom." We choose everything about our lives even our very essence. Humans are so free that we are "condemned" to constant choices and believes that we must feel totally responsible for every facet of our own lives and even those of others. If we fail to do so, we are acting in "bad faith."
What do you think about Sartre's explanation on Freedom?