Freedom or Equality.....Which is more important.?

Question

Because you can't have both. Many of my philosophy professors at USC attest to this. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

All depends how you define the two.

Freedom, in the classical sense, is the unhindered ability to do whatever I want. In America it is limited by the Constitution. Freedom is inherent in existence, subjugation is an artifical (necessary) imposition.

Equality is not inherent in existence (quite the contrary, all entities are evaluated by their differences one from the other). Immediately, then, we see that simply being values freedom over equality. There is no freedom to be equal because equality is a construct. Equality is lacking as a virtue simply because "virtue" demands disparity. An entity must be able to have value ascribed to it (who's value and what magnitude is a different subject altogether). If all entitites have the same value (equality) then there is no such thing as "virtue". It's a state of moral entropy.

Freedom, on the other hand, is a high virtue because it is more valuable (better) than its alternatives, according to our perception which is founded on the law of nature. I'm free to be because I am.

If you mean "equality" before the law, well, this is simply an expression of freedom. We construct this equality to honor the inherent value of freedom. The law exists to reconcile conflicting expressions of freedom. This is the necessary limitation. It is adversarial by nature and qualitatively UNequal. Judgement is rendered that places value on one expression over the other.

Real equality is not freedom, it is slavery.

Answer 2

I know this forum does not always allow for an adequate unpacking of terms. But a little "unpacking" here would show that there is little need to dichotomize freedom and equality in the way you have done. First, what is equality? Are you talking about economic equality, spiritual, ontological, accidental, legal, moral, numerical or proportional equality? Depending on which type of equality you are referencing by the term, what prevents freedom from obtaining in a society where all citizens are equal? What kind of freedom do you have in mind? To answer this question, you might try reading Mortimer Adler's _Six Great Ideas_.

Answer 3

I'm not sure you can have 1 w/o the other. But you & I both know there is no such thing as equality. At least, not in this world.. Maybe not freedom, either unless you want to call anarchy freedom. What we have here in America probably comes the closest to freedom & equality. And that's pretty faulty but I for one ain't livin anywhere else!!!

Answer 4

Equality is an illusion at best and a lie at worst. No two people are equal, interchangeable, or exactly the same in even any one quality you care to name.

Nor has any legal system ever treated everyone in a group exactly the same, even though many aspire to. Some people always have more rights than others. Some always have to have less. This is nothing less than an implicit agreement that people aren't the same and it is LESS just to treat them as if they were than to acknowledge those differences and work with them.

Any system that tries to treat everyone identically thus has this built-in flaw, and must adapt to reality or fail. I know of no exceptions.

Answer 5

I think this is comparing apples and oranges. Freedom is not absolute. This concept is described some times as "your freedom to swing your arms in the air include up to but not including my nose". Equality obviously does not apply in all cases. Some are taller and some are shorter. This often puts one or the other at a disadvantage. Similarly intellectual skills vary as do other aspects of life. What we are most concerned is equality before the law. That is possible, has not been attained but it could be done.

Answer 6

it style of feels rather ordinary to reply to this question. yet its no longer. I guess maximum will say psychological freedom. they're going to say that as long as you have psychological freedom you could guard actual regulations. some will say that a solid mind's eye will complement actual limitations. And others will say that psychological freedom comes first and that actual freedom could be reached via fact of it. yet what if on the age of two or 3 or 4 or 10, you're locked in a soundproof room without residing house windows and basically provided with adequate to outlive. you're unfastened to think of what you want and picture what you want. So the place does your concepts wander? it rather is unfastened to flow anyplace it pleases, the topic is it would not rather have everywhere to flow. One would not exist with out the different.

Answer 7

Freedom.

Answer 8

Wow what a great question. I think freedom is more important than equality because equality would only bring equal constraints; freedom is more of a universal concept?

Answer 9

Your "philosophy professors" are simply trying to get you to think.

They're the same thing.

As in: Everyone has the same freedoms/rights (equality), and when you overreach your own boundaries (freedom) you have infringed upon someone else.

It's a tightrope act called "Society."

Answer 10

Freedom is the most important for me.