Sunday, April 22, 2012

Limitations of Freedom


I was wondering what are, if any, the limitations of being free? For example, how does a person's socioeconomic standing affect their personal freedom? Are there not structural problems affecting ones ability to get out of a bad economic situation, such as poverty? Are all career opportunities equal for all people? Do racism, sexism, ageism, etc. have no affect on whether or not someone can 'get ahead'? Do people honestly have complete free will in deciding what their social roles in society will be? What about physical or mental illnesses or handicaps? Can they not affect someones ability to be 'truly' free? And what about biology? Are not some things biologically predetermined? I mean, of course, beyond things like hair, eye or skin color, because no rational person could argue that these things chosen for oneself, but is there nothing else predetermined? And what about instincts and impulses, are we to imagine that we are in complete control of such things? Do we really have the power to choose our sexuality, the situations we are in, what kinds of relationships we have, and our own character? Do we honestly have the freedom to choose how we feel? And if so, then why do all people, at least occasionally, feel negative emotions? Surely no one but a masochist would willingly choose to make him or herself miserable, and surely not all people are masochistic. It is a good thing that Sartre eventually put some limitations on his original idea of radical freedom, because that simply cannot be the case. 'Pure' freedom cannot exist; freedom always comes with some limitations and restrictions. 

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