Freedom
Freedom is the right to do what you want without being controlled or restricted by anyone. This is according to the Longman dictionary definition of the word freedom. However, it is difficult to define what exactly freedom is except if the restrictions on human actions are deeply analyzed. Freedom has residual areas which individuals can access in the society. It contains inbuilt restrictions which make one to respect the rights and freedom of others while in exercising their own freedom. For instance, my freedom to stretch my hands may be infringing on my neighbor’s freedom to breath. Therefore, I may restrict my hand stretching action in respect of my neighbor’s freedom to breathe. There is a clear distinction between freedom and liberty; they are not one and the same thing.
Liberty seeks to convey the message of people’s rights to do what they want without any restrictions whereas freedom has some inbuilt restrictions. In a society, every individual has the freedom to do whatever he or she want. This is expressed using the concept of liberty. However, people need to respect the freedom of others while exercising their own freedom. Freedom has a context upon which an individual is at liberty to do what he or she wants. The context is the law or social customs. The single most significant difference between a free society and other societies is the extent in which the law and customs are structured to create restrictions to people’s freedoms. Additionally, freedom does not have external restrictions. The restrictions of freedom are mainly internal. The idea of absolute freedom does not exist especially in large jurisdictions such as countries and cities. The necessity to make a compromise between the state’s obligations and the rights of an individual makes it hard for the existence of absolute freedom.
Freedom forms an important aspect of society because it leads to a high quality of life, increased productivity, originality of thought, and creativity. The idea of freedom is complex and requires redefining by existing generation. What is currently considered defining freedom in the society may be considered as freedom by the next generation. Freedom should be regarded as a condition for success in the society. This implies that if people want to flourish, they need to have an environment where they can exercise freedom. Every human being, especially of adult age has the capacity to self direct their lives. This is the capacity that predetermines success and can only be realized if the environment gives room for freedom. People have to be free to choose how they want to live. Involuntary restrictions need to be eliminated to allow for self direction. For instance, it is possible for people in bondage to feel happy and satisfied with life, however, their condition makes it hard for them to flourish in life because they cannot self direct their lives.
Creating an environment of freedoms necessitates political and legal order. This is the only way in which one can exercise his or her own rights without infringing on the rights of others. Freedom is, therefore, important for people to leave together peacefully despite their diverse and different views of what it means to have a good life. Adam Smith gives a reason to believe that if people are free, they can easily flourish. In his book, wealth of a nation, Smith says that if people are allowed to pursue what they desire, there will be a mutual exchange. Market forces will dictate the activities of the people and as a result, there will be coordination that benefits everyone. Smith notes that despite the fact that people can be influenced by the desire for momentary enjoyment, they also have a strong desire for bettering their condition.
Different types of government and how they ensure freedom
Almost two and a half thousand years ago, Aristotle , classified political regimes , has identified six ways of government - three "right" and three "wrong" . Three correct ways of government, he called monarchy in which power belongs to one person, the aristocracy, in which power belongs to a few, and polity in which power belongs to all people. It is, however, wrong because it leads to tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. With proper form of government by those who own the power to act for the common.
Liberalism and free will
Today in liberal ethics the word "freedom" associated with the presence of "free will" of people. The liberals say that freedom is a way to reach goals and purpose of life. The Freedom imposes on human responsibility. Human action can only be considered as morally right if it is made with "free will", when it is made by person's own choice. In this way, ethics is aimed at understanding by human of his freedom and the related liability.
A major weakness was the amount of power it gave the individual states leaving the federal government to be weak. The weak central government meant that the states could not effectively operate as a union. The article gave states the power to make their own currency and come up with their own foreign policies. The federal government could not be allowed to put regulatory measures on commerce. It was also not allowed to collect taxes, but it could seek aid or funding from the state. The article also restricted congress in many ways. It did not allow congress to raise taxes or to create a court system that can be used to ensure trade among the states. Evidence of government weakness resulting from the limitations of the article was seen during the Shay’s rebellion. Farmers from New England wanted to be paid for their role in the war, but the government had no means to pay them. They, therefore, revolted against the federal government attacking the federal armory in Massachusetts. The rebellion was, therefore, an indication of the government’s inability to raise its money.
The need for a strong central government became inevitable. Several issues were debated at the constitutional convention. The issue discussed led to the adoption of a new constitution. The main argument was obviously a need to strengthen the central government. In addition, the Virginia delegate proposed the creation of a national government that exercises authority over all the states in the confederation. According to the proposal, the national government was to have two strong arms including the executive and the judiciary. Legislative representation into the congress was based on the population and the size of states.
The idea of a strong federal government was not liked by everyone especially delegates from small states. They felt that they would not benefit from the deal because of their size.
There was the emergence of new transportation systems, factories, commercial farms, and growing cities. The first factory built was that of spinning cotton. There was immense technological development in the cotton industry with building of machines that helped gin and spin cotton. The industry grew and became highly profitable. It also caused an increase in the slave trade despite the plans to abolish it. Later the industry experienced a boom with the introduction of the sewing machine and other technological development for mass production of cotton. With the industrial revolution taking effect in the country, other industries also grew.
Transport industry also experienced a revolution because of the need to transport raw materials to industries and finished products from to the markets. Each state and region specialized in various products. The west was known as the breadbasket; the south was mainly agricultural, while the east had all the major processing industries. Therefore, the transport system helped to create a domestic or national market economy. Roads, railways, and shipping routes were developed to connect all the economic regions in the country.
The economic changes and development came with a lot of opportunities and challenges. The rapid urbanization created challenges. There was increased social inequality in the cities. The gap between the rich and the poor increased. Immigration was also a major problem that came with urbanization. On a positive note, the economic development created an increase in foreign commerce. The country could produce enough to be used domestically and internationally.
Men and women from all walks of life used religion and morality to create a solution to some of the societal problems they faced. There was widespread segregation on some sections of the society including women and black Americans. The idea of morality was used to form laws which protected women and blacks from the segregation. Slavery was abolished during this period and women suffrage was also realized. Many people joined religious reform movements because of the need to revive their faith. The Spiritual Awakening across the country highlighted on the need to become responsible citizens and to follow Christ. The Second Awakening is one such movement that was formed during the early 19th century. Another reform movement was that of women’s right that fought to increase women participation in the society.
References
Beck, U. (2006). Risk Society: Towards a new Modernity (1 ed.). Buenos Aires: Paidos.
Farrell, M. (2007). The Measurement of Productive Efficiency. Journal of Royal Statistical Society, 120(3):11-48.
Kimmel, M. S., & Aronson, A. (2007). The gendered society reader. London: Oxford University Press.
Thompson, W., & Hickey, J. (2005). Society in Focus. Boston: Pearson.
