Do you think that you are free?

Question

Many people think that they are free, I mean they have the freedom to choose, to work and to make what ever they like. I think most of human societies these days are controlled by mass media and stereotypes, in other words they are imitators of certain types presented by authority.
How can we find the limit of our freedom?

Answer 1

Every government tags their citizens with numbers.
They own you.
The limits of one's freedom of movement is within their jurisdiction.
Then, one's freedom of action is restricted by the social norms, cultural practices and religion.
Finally, one's freedom of choice restricted by the expectations of close ones.
Thereafter, you will be free to do pretty much everything else that a rat in a cage would be free to do.

Ain't that alot of freedom.

Answer 2

Thinking that you are free and actually having free will are two very different things. Here's the argument against the existence of free will:

Assume that our minds are controlled entirely by our brain and other biological/environmental processes. (That is, assume that ghosts and souls don't exist.) Well, our brain is made up of just physical matter: cells, neurons, synapses, etc. All physical matter follow the laws of physics.

For instance, if you threw a rock off a cliff, someone who had all the right information (initial velocity of the rock, wind speed & direction, height of cliff, mass of rock, etc.), could predict exactly where that rock would land before you even threw it. The rock has no choice but to land at that spot, given the initial conditions.

Your brain and its neurons, etc. also work that way. If someone knew the state of every cell in your brain (which neurons were firing, etc.) and had a complete understanding of the human mind, that person could predict what you are thinking/feeling now, and what you will do next. If that person also knows everything about the world (what every person is doing, weather patterns, etc.), then s/he could even predict what you'll be doing one year from now.

Unless you believe in God, no person now could predict these things. But that doesn't take away from the claim that your actions are predictable, if only there were a person capable of making those predictions.

In this physical world, how then can a neuron decide to fire or not fire all by itself and contrary to physical laws/processes? Where is there room for free will to "grab" a neuron to make it do something that it otherwise wouldn't do?...

This is why many philosophers think that free will is just an illusion. It's hard to deny that we have the experience of free will, but harder to prove that we have free will. How do you prove that you could have done something else, when that thing has already been done??...

The implications of this are vast. If we don't have free will, then we aren't really responsible for our actions, right? And that means that we shouldn't be punished, since we really didn't have a choice in the matter. And other moral dilemmas.

Answer 3

to make it short, no, and thats a good thing, why, because if we as a society were totally free (and i mean no rules) then lets just say there would be no civil society anymore, it would be really bad, but at the same time we need more freedom in politics, do you honestly believe your vote counts, lol, if it did Bush wouldn’t be president once let alone twice, and i didn’t get to choose the vice-pres, and many other major party members, so freedom from rules is not good, but freedom in politics and religion are extremely important, to bad that we are all fooled to believe we have a choice in either one.

Answer 4

I do not think that I am free. Me, being a child means that I have people who can limit things in my life. It means that people could tell me what to do and how to do it and I can't say anything. When I am older I still won't be free because I have to get a job and work hard to make a living for myself. Or do I? What if I just stopped working and going to school and did whatever I wanted to? Then, I think I would be free.But until then I am still limited with rules and precautions.

Answer 5

No one can ever be truly free. In order to live in a common society with other people, you must have basic laws or rules. Therefore, you are not truly free.

I don't mind living in the society like this. I know it is for my own safety and protection as well as that of others. Without them, our world would be out of control and chaotic.

Answer 6

To me, freedom can mean the decision that you ARE. Freedom is (or can be) a state of mind. If you consider you are free, then so be it. But freedoms fall into the barriers as you say, and then there are freedoms from those barriers. The challenge then becomes to remove those barriers!

Answer 7

<------------------------->
Order Freedom

I once saw this chart in a Philosophy book. In governmental terms we can look at it as this.

<--------------------------------->
Totalitarianism Anarchy

Both extremes are horrible. We can never be truly and totaly free because it would destroy us. We must also be somewhat free because total order would prevent us form living. Therefore you always have some freedom, but perhaps we don't have enough.

Answer 8

The Police courts and Judges

Answer 9

of course i am free because i make my own FREEDOM and nobody can order me to the opposite NEVER EVER
<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Answer 10

No-there's always the law. ( I believe the law was a smart idea, we have freedom-but limited)