Independence is the foundation of freedom. Greater the independence, greater the right to freedom and liberty. Freedom is natural in the wilderness whereas, freedom in the society is artificial, called liberty.
Meaning of Freedom
Freedom is a phenomenon of independence resulting from the cause and conditions including right to own will or conscience, right to own option and equal rights. If there is no equal right to own will, and no equal right to choose own option then there is no equal freedom.
Freedom is not wishfulness or the right to fulfill wishes. Freedom is a state arising like a phenomenon from conditions of right to own will, right to own options and right to equality in an universal context. In an universal context, freedom is harmonious with other life forms.
However, freedom in context of society, if not equal, and can go against the freedom of others. For example, religious freedom of one group can go against cultural freedom of another group.
As free individual, you belong to yourself, depend on yourself and are responsible for yourself. As a free individual, you are a wild human.
Understanding Freedom Through Slavery
Freedom can be understood from the institution of slavery. Freedom is the opposite of slavery. Slavery is enforced without the right to own options and without equal rights.
Slave is not free because they are in slavery against their will. Slaves own what is provided by the master and slaves do not have right to equal status. Slave are of the master, dependent on the master and for the master.
If you do not have will of your own, if you do not have right to own options, if you do not have equal rights, then you are not free. If you are dependent, if you are for something other than you, and if you belong to something or someone, you are not free.
Freedom Is A Natural Right
Freedom is natural. Freedom justifies itself. Freedom may have external objections, but it does not need external justification. Freedom is a natural human instinct and destiny. Infants wean, grow, mature, become independent and free. Freedom is a right and not a favor. Freedom is a necessary condition for life to flourish.
Freedom allows to make mistakes, learn from the mistakes, grow and mature. Without freedom, lifeforms remain immature because they cannot grow to their full potential. Individual as well as society without the right to equal freedom remains immature.
Liberty is Limited Freedom
Freedom is individual and liberty is institutional. Because society may not be able to accommodate the individual right to equal freedom, society may give and protect a restricted form of freedom called liberty. For example, kings and feudal lords allowed limited degree of freedom to their subjects through unequal rights.
Liberty is freedom in the context of society or within the framework of society and it’s institutions. Liberty is artificial. Autonomy is institutional. For example, educational institutions have autonomy due to which they independently operate within the premise of state laws. Freedom, liberty, or autonomy cannot exist without independence.
Right Knowledge Brings Independence and Freedom
Right knowledge brings independence and freedom as evident through the evolution of science and technology. Due to knowledge based on truth, nature and reason, humans evolved in their ability to imagine and think as evident through the European renaissance and made use of those thinking to develop practical ideas, science and technology. True knowledge, science and technology has contributed to increase in human independence and freedom. Due to knowledge, science and technology, individuals lives are less under the control of institutions and society.
Independence Through Basic Natural Rights
If you are independent, then you have the right to freedom. Unfortunately, crooks use institutions of society to control natural richness of your environment and corrupt the processes of your life in order to make you weak and dependent on society for resources and natural fulfillment.
Women lose freedom due to their weakness and inability to assert themselves in a society where they are dependent on men. Human strength, independence and freedom is hampered with the destruction of nature and corruption of life-processes.
In order to keep the flame of independence burning and the light of freedom shining, it is necessary for humans in society to have the universal right to life, basic healthcare, basic education, and basic natural wealth and basic income so that the crooks of society cannot misuse institutions to play humanity against each other for their crooked desires and ambitions.