What is the importance of freedom?

Answer 1

Heavy question. Not easy to answer. Often for the oppressed the idea of freedom is important.

So often people fight for a concept or a principal. Those who have led the fight for freedom are often not the poor but the wealthier intellectuals. This fight has often ended in death. Sometimes that freedom has been delusional- depends on where one lies in the new society once the power structures are settled.

Russia is a good example. The Tsar was replaced by the communists, one oppresser replaced by another. Communism was replaced by capitalism. Here many who received state welfare ended up on the streets with nothing.

In Zimbabwe the oppressed are now the oppressors.

In countries with a pure market economy with little govt intervention personal freedoms is stressed, thus many lose their freedom if they are at the bottom of the heap and there is no social security.

Then there is the concept of freedom of the individual v the state. To what level should individual freedoms displace the rights of the whole. In some ways this is a East V West argument.

Answer 2

There are many kinds of freedom; you were not specific.

One of the most important is freedom of the press. Only in a free and open environment can people make individual choices and decide for themselves where the "truth" resides.

This is why the great English poet/author John Milton published "Areopagitica" back in 1644. It was a treatise for freedom of the press, as opposed to letting the Catholic church control all printing presses.

One of the most famous lines from "Areopagitica" is this:

"And though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?"

Answer 3

Take the simple hampster. He is safe in his little cage. He has toys to play with. He has plenty of food to eat. It is clean and warm and he needs nothing. Yet he is always trying to escape into the dangers of freedom. It is simply the fact that he is not free, and freedom is his greatest desire.

Many relationships have the same problem. they love each other, they trust each other and are content to be together forever and faithful. Yet they divorce within a year of marriage, then stay friends for the rest of their lives.

Freedom is only important when you don't have it.

Answer 4

The importance of freedom is whatever you personally assign to it, as freedom is a very personal matter.


One must realise however that freedom, much like peace.... can be defined only as a "non-thing".... not as a "thing". That is to say freedom comes about from the removal of obstacles much as peace comes about from the removal of disturbance.

As such, very few people value true freedom, as they are too connected to the world of the real and the physical. They often do not even realise that the only way to free one's self entirely is to throw away all connections to the mundane world... to free the self of all things and embrace nothingness.
The average person is far too concerned with what they believe is real... far too tied down by their own instinctual drive to live and breed.... far too indoctrinated into the hive mind of community preservation, sacrifice of individuality and crude morality.
People seeking freedom, as myself, are anathema to the common human..... They see us as dangerous... as threats to their system. They might be right, but then their system is a threat to all freedom.

Afterall, I will never truly be free until I can do whatever I want without consequence.

... Which is a shame, as freedom is of utmost importance to me.

Answer 5

Freedom is the most important feature for any human or animal. But freedom without control is useless, as is power. Freedom is important because it gives us the right to exercise our will in different ways of day-to-day life. Of course, there is no ABSOLUTE freedom because we are all governed by the laws of our country, state and societies and hence have to follow a code of ethics and behavior.

Despite- imagine living in a country were basic freedoms are denied by the state. Where people cannot express what they feel???

Answer 6

the main importance of freedom is that u don't be any ones slave.so u don't have to asked for everything to everybody .so the meaning of freedom is importance of freedom.

Answer 7

Without freedom everyone would be the same. We would all do the same thing cuz obviously we would have no freedom. Everything would be boring and it would suck. Giving someone freedom helps develop their personality and without it what would become of a person? Freedom is an important part of life, everybody needs it to live a healthy,normal life.

Answer 8

freedom is many things. it is not just being able to do whatever you want when you want. freedom of the heart and
soul are more important than that of the flesh but to possess a pure heart and conscience, is to live without regret; is to live without damnation of ones own self; is to live free. the importance of freedom of the soul, is that it must exsist in order for freedom of the flesh to be celebrated. we must find a balance of freedom in our own life, in order to truly live.

Answer 9

you will know when you are kept captive....most of us are ....so probably very few can really tell you wht it is....ofcourse they can tell you wht they've read and wht they've heard....i think freedom would be the feeling tht you will know when you understand tht there is no one who can define it for you...cause its case-sensitive :)

Answer 10

diversity, we can't have one person or one group of people with the same ideals and beliefs control everyone else.