Is freedom ALWAYS a good thing?

Question

Why or why not?

Answer 1

ONLY if it is tempered with responsibility and accountability. That's why those that have the freedom to say what they what cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater... he has to be responsible for the consequences of his actions, and answer to the laws.

Answer 2

Yes. Even through the suffering caused by freedom it's a good thing. What's the point of lliving if you are not free to make your own decisions. You might as well be a machine. We are blessed with free will, and no one should have the right to take that away...

Answer 3

Knowledge is power. Ignorance is slavery. To be aware of options is to be free. Knowing more options and alternatives is always good. Thus, freedom of this kind is always good.

However, individual freedom necessarily includes the power to harm others. In a society, therefore, if more individuals choose to remove as "options" the choices to harm others, it means that society at large will impose less restrictions that remove that "option" to harm others. Without self-imposed restrictions on our personal freedoms, there will necessarily be socially-imposed restrictions.

It's a balance.

Answer 4

Yes always a good thing. It teaches us its value when misused, with irreversible consequences.
It hold value for us when we understand that the other side of the coin is duty towards maintaining such freedom effectively !

Answer 5

no. an obvious example is being free to kill others. thats a freedom which is not a good thing.

another example is in a situation where there was a community or religion which gave meaning to the lives of the people that belonged to it. then that community or religious group is broken apart by outsiders. now the people have more freedom. they are individuals that are not expected to adhere to certain social guidelines and norms. but their lives no longer have much meaning for them. the core principles, even if they restricted their freedom, helped them to define themselves in relation to the world. people find meaning in unfreedom. they find meaning in being a part of a religion that imposes rules on them, or a part of a community which establishes norms to live by. its the folly of modernism to see people as individual, atomic, "unencumbered" selves. in reality we find meaning in belonging to groups that place restrictions on ours activities. so the freedom that results from the norms that governed your life being lifted is not a good thing. it often results in confusion and lack of purpose in life. our era is identified by its obsession with freedom and individualism. but i think that the overvaluing of these traits is based on a very unrealistic picture of what makes people's lives have meaning and happiness.

Answer 6

i agree with kehkohjones.

there is such a thing as too much freedom. that can lead to people doing things that are dangerous to themselves as well as others around them. freedom is good, but there must also be some responsiblity, order, common sense, good judgement and good taste.

Answer 7

Imagine, after global cataclysm somehow you survived with no even a scratch ....be sure now you are free from people,mamas-papas, friends, dogmas, politics, schools, institutions, free from dependency of any kind, to gas stations, to candies, cookies, tv, talk shows, comedies, tragedies, dramas, alcohol, drugs, for they becomes nonexistent.. all your beliefs you build to defend it from those who disagree with you becomes simply irrelevant....now you belong to yourself fully ...no even advisers...You've got freedom which is unconditional...conditional freedom is not freedom at all, as well as Love.Now decide is it good or bad?

Answer 8

Freedom is not always a good thing. Ask the victims involved with a mass killer, they will explain to you .

Answer 9

freedom is always a good thing because no one can rule us we can do anything

Answer 10

Depends on the law that guarantees 'freedom'. Is it good law and for whom. The answer is NO!