The great task of understanding what is true human-freedom !
Probably, the most frequently used 'word' in public sphere today is 'human-freedom'.The entire energy and effort of humanity, both at individual and collective level,was for ensuring that,man enjoys his unhindered freedom in life, and in society/Nation. But,sad fact is that, no one knows, what kind of freedom is true freedom !
Man always aspires for TWO domains of freedom;one, as he an individual,as an integral part or unit in existence under the sky, and two, he as a part of the collective. His urges for expressing, or utilizing both kinds of freedom is equal; he can not ignore one at the cost of other.
We might need examples to illustrate above two kinds of call within man,for existential freedom:
1) He might be enjoying his civil freedom of every kind in some kind of societies, or some kind of political system. For example, the Singapore under her erstwhile founder President Lee Kuan. Excellent external environment for leading a modern civic life was arranged by this man, which was admired by every leader in the world !Many, though secretly, wished to emulate him. There was job for all, excellent civic-amenity in cities and villages,cleanliness everywhere, excellent transport and communication systems,water,air and electricity.Singapore was a real model for a modern-nation !
But,what about individual freedom of citizens to express himself as a unique person? Such a dimension of human-individual was perhaps,not in recognition in his country ! Man is part in the mythical human-community. Individual citizen, as some part of, or a unit of a different organization, whether it is the mother nature/existence, or life as great natural pool independent of his political-belonging-ness to any country, was not a recognized factor in such a system of collective world-view ! Can man write poetry, philosophy,literature etc.that often might go beyond the definition of man simply as a State-subject ? Can he indulge in sculpture,painting or other form of pure Art, that at times goes beyond the State's definition of a citizen? He could perhaps do such things, but such a State has no slot for recognizing and accepting role of such citizens. We remember, whenever a tyrant comes to power, he used to target such men of mind first, for elimination !
Can he go out to beach with his wife or girl-friend, in unorthodox clothing and bathe in nude ? Probably not! Such aspects of freedom, if allowed among citizens, will cause a threat to the common definition and dimension of State-subjects, the classical 'social-order' in society, as devised in such collective system.
2) Freedom as a unique individual was the one West had recognized first. Society,or its utmost organized form, the State, is not allowed to interfere in the matter of such freedom of individual ! State, they said, is the institution or means, should exist, simply to ensure that, such unique freedom of individual is not violated by any one, or especially, the collective agency of State herself.
This kind of freedom of individual was what had been most clearly defined and expressed in the 'American declaration of independence' document:
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"
It may not be false if we assume that, Capitalism as an economic system had derived from the above tenet of unbridled freedom of man. The freedom to 'pursue own happiness'forms the essence of creating wealth.Non-interference from State( laissez-faire) in this activity, forms the 2nd part of Capitalism, both indicating conditions for freedom.
West, and almost every corner of world have already,very distinctly experienced the outcome of such freedom; it produced a handful of excessively rich, those who had sought own happiness, ignoring everything rest around, ie. other people, the environment etc.This world view was based on the belief that,everyone is endowed by Nature to look-after himself, and pursue his way of happiness !
These men who sought unbridled freedom have acquired it, but it converted 99% of world population its dependents and even accessories ! More than half of the wealth and resources of the world had got accumulated into pockets of these men, who are less than 1% of world population. It created unprecedented inequality in society, increased crimes,suicides, deteriorated -environment ( social and physical) caused new diseases, disturbed traditional-social institutions like marriage, family-tie etc.
Millions of people got side-lined from active life sphere, being non-productive, or not at all needed in the commercial-production arena, by these masterly class of men.( Entrepreneurs) and the institution of industrial-production they had established.
If freedom of man is 'self-evident' in Nature,why it is always available only as a gift, a concession or a mercy from State-Players, or some or other 'collectives' of man ?
When we take-up 'human-freedom' , with an aim to understand it at close angles, first question that arise would be, why it is always remain a matter of mercy, or concession from a State-actor ? For freedom, the story is always that of 'great struggles' for it from a seat of Authority, often an institutionalized State-player.Why it has happened this way ? How this particular 'inalienable' and 'self-evident' nature ( feature) of man turned something to be obtained from a third-party State-player ? American revolutionists distinctly and clearly stated that, the one and only, or the primary job of State is to safe-guard and protect this particular natural propensity, and feature of human-creature, or man in existence! Indeed the most sensible explanation, as to why organized society is essential for enjoying human-freedom ! In jungle atmosphere, it could never happen, as it will be always one against other, or many against one, to eliminate the enemy.
Central feature of this inalienable freedom is the aversion of man towards any form of hegemony,or authority, as authority is the enemy no.one of freedom. Authority always desires compliance,unquestioned submission and meekness of those under it, as otherwise, it suffers from existential paradoxes. The only institutional authority that is acceptable to human reason is that has been constituted with the free-will of those who constituted it. But, even if it was constituted with free-will and sense of reason of people, if such State fall back to the only one,known archaic shape of old coercive State,such forms of free-willed States too turns enemy of society. This is what is prevalent in modern-world;democratic govts are elected govts, but, the state institution she forms is the same old archaic,coercive model, leaving the State same as in Kings time. It was this sad State of affairs that prompted this very attempt, to define freedom afresh !
State has no business of ascertaining or establishing it's own entity,independent of the people who constitute her.If that happens, what is the difference between it, and the old time 3rd party States, wherein it was imposed on people with coercion & might of the oppressor ?
This ( freedom, needing a 'freedom giver') should be the greatest paradox of our times, but today it is NOT considered to be, by any strata of our society,its intellectual and mind leader as a great issue ! For them, it seems, State is like the sky above, a permanent feature of human existence,(State, not in the sense that American revolutionists had visualized,but State as the traditional controller/master over human-communities) similar to a state of, or a wide-spread evil of slavery in human society. Suppose the state of slavery is the absolute norm of the day. Here, talk of Freedom will be limited to concessions like the hours a day the slaves' fetters are loosened, restricting the number of slaps he daily receives from the master, or fixing maximum number of times a month/year the women-slaves could be sexually assaulted by a master etc.
It simply means, the well declared ( unprecedented !) American declaration of the freedom and liberty of man, could not be sustained ever after ! Institution of State refused to fall into the noble-mold, that the revolutionists had visualized.The industrial bosses, who controlled the economy of the State, did not want such unbridled freedom for man, as it was rather a menace to their kind of activities in the area of industrial-production, than some kind of a blessing. What industrialists needed was rather 'orders from up-carrying and executing docile 'workers', who formed the 'human-resource' in the industrial-production sphere !
Why then the gradual disappearance of FREEDOM was not NOTICED by mankind ?
Even the citizens who actually do not enjoy essential human-freedom had not complained. What they wanted was freedom from torture in jails, if fired on crowds of people, even if Police baton-charge on them, or fire at them, hitting only beneath the hip, or freedom to take out huge demonstrations on streets against cruel govts etc only ! He too has accepted State as his lawful violator of rights,dignity and humanness !The old myth and tradition of Kings and their likes was viciously alive in the mind of people. They never could imagine that, they could be 'free' in any sense, independent of a State actor at the top ! Modern man is yet to realize, how free he could be, under his own political-system called democracy. The more they behave like old,docile state-subjects under Kings, the more would democratic States-players ACT and BEHAVE like their predecessors.
To emancipate SLAVES from slave owners, world needed an Abraham Lincoln, not a slave among the slaves ! If it were today, modern psychologists would have declared the great man as psychic, suffering from conditions that fails to accept hard-core REALITY in the immediate world around !
This author feels, above acceptance of the existence of the violator of freedom as status-quo is the worst, or most laughable aspect of modern age !Such talks of freedom or basic human-liberty is meaningless when tradition of rights and freedom violator is also an equally accepted feature of modern-world. It is great absurdity, and a ridiculous joke !!
Even when the political-system of the day is called DEMOCRACY, the governmental system of equal-men, State in its old,archaic role now handled by elected representatives of People, is like holding primitive rituals and superstitions in this computer and space-travel age ! It is absolutely incompatible in every sense known to man, as democracy is supposed to be the last of political-systems for mankind. It is supposed to be by his ultimate human-wisdom,sense of Reason and every tenet f common-sense, for him, and of him.
What might be freedom in the ultimate sense, as Nature must have schemed for man, and why ?
For answering the above question, better we look within into our most deep urges and aspirations,instead of looking for support of existing academic-literature. NO known bomb system might be equal to the explosive power of a human-mind ! It is a replica of universe, and the very existence itself, in the matter of its creative urge, and undefined directions it desires to take. Its path is unknown to itself, unlike a Bomb, that is directed towards one singular aim, ie,causing maximum destruction. In the matter of unbridled human-freedom, it aims at destruction, only when it faces obstructions to its above explained unbridled path of dynamism and growth, it should be believed, when tested from our own hearts; when someone creates unreasonable obstruction to one's natural path of fulfilling inherent DRIVES ( please see more about these inherent DRIVES, at:http://unrecognizedobjectsofthemind.blogspot.in/) man turns simply destructive !
In every usual case, he comes back to his senses the next moment. But when a general atmosphere of hostility to natural human DRIVES exists in society/State, like children, citizens adopts permanent hostile behavior patterns, often termed as 'anti-social' traits. In such cases,man simply turns 'non-man', or inhuman ! He, in the usual State's legal terminology, will be termed as 'a threat to society'. But, truth is that, these guys never received any patient listening, or empathy from the collective institutions, especially from its representatives, who often are intoxicated with the 'power' of the state, or similar collective agencies. If the victim citizens turn anti-social, representatives of the State, or similar social or religious collectives with moral or even coercive Power,also turns inhuman, and in every sense, ' anti-social' ! For them, the freedom needing citizens are a big-liability,and burden! This becomes a regular recipe for severe, permanent social-conflict !
Here, the way out is simple. It was very sensibly put-in by Nobel writer, Albert Camus; He wrote,' an age can be called 'civilized' only when she starts sending her criminals to mental-asylums, instead of jails' ! State, or the human collectives are required to be well aware of, and must possess INSIGHT into ultimate human-nature.
What lessons modern society and State players had adopted for treating human-beings ( citizens) were the negative notions about man and human-nature taught by political philosophers Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes famously said about life of man; 'short,nasty and brutish'. A power-state, with adequate coercive means at her disposal, becomes necessary to correct this nature, and compel him back into the path of compliance with state-laws and norms.
Judging from the unbroken ( not-broken in the sense, one's sense of natural self-esteem not broken by the gross inequality, gross tenet of coercion etc. from the side of State and her agencies, or by the society that abide by these collective set-up in the world) natural, sense of self-esteem and dignity that every human person possess, every human being born into life,with some or other unique purpose, with special abilities,propensities and realm of special interest. Man is born with untold compulsion within, to find utmost expression to own, such unique special existential purposes and goals.He is simply helpless, but to find maximum expression for these inherent inner calls. Freedom of man simply demands, unbridled expression of own inner calls, as explained in the blog on 'existential DRIVES' referred above.
When he is defined as part of any greater whole, such as a political or community organization, he naturally encounter a restraint.But many of men find ways to align themselves to such collective wholes, and find fullest expressions for their inner energies and calls. But,many find the restrictions unbearable, and they naturally turn anti-social in the eyes of such Collective-wholes. Laws of the land were basically made to tackle such individuals, as once explained in one of the above paragraphs.
But, one could easily observe from one's immediate world that, those who are treated well, with dignity and acceptance, by every member of society, including those who represent the impersonal -state, ( or any such collective)sense of Reason and good-judgement remain intact, obey rules of the society/community/state with utmost commitment and care. Such well 'valued' and accepted men in society tend to develop a deep sense of self-responsibility towards oneself, and also others ! When impersonal and blindly coercive state and other collective agencies treat him negatively that, citizen-human-beings show tendencies of being anti-social !
This is an important lesson for modern world;if full freedom of man is our goal, it is absolutely necessary that, citizens are accepted,valued, and their sense of dignified self is cared and well-protected by every State player, and other economic, religious and other agents with share in Power !
Complex issues like marital-rape, entry of women into religious places, frequent 'sedition-charges' framed on citizens with frequent tendency to question her, and not complying with her special whims and fancies like 'Nationalism' etc. are direct products of such negative, or apathetic treatment of citizens.People lose their ability to be true, self-respecting individuals, and then every small violation of their silly wishes and whims irritate them, and they turn perpetual agitators!
In a healthy union of two responsible couple, the question of marital rape could never arise.( Marital-rape is a complex issue of FREEDOM now discussed in India !) Proper respect for individual dignity, as specifically enshrined in constitutions such of India in her 'FRATERNITY' clause if delivered to citizens in letter and spirit, every citizen will be a free-unit, free and happy to use his great sense of Reason and good-sense every time, for himself, others, and in matters of State-Laws.
State was an old, often archaic tradition. It is high time our age realize this fact, and free-herself from continuing with her most evil laws,anti-people attitudes, fear of people, and every negative dogma about human-nature. Then a new kind of State model would emerge, fit for democracies, and fit for political-system of, self-respecting, EQUAL-MEN.
The ancient origin of the myth of the State was indeed a sinful story. Following blog will expose it, at link:http://originofestablishment.blogspot.in/
Keeping man free, the way nature want him to be free, is similar to our latest insight into 'ecology'.Nature proved to man that, if he and his collective bodies do not respect,care and look-after her well, she will turn his enemy no-1, causing self-destruction of our environment. When we painfully learned the valued lesson of looking after and caring for our environment, the OTHER MAN in the immediate vicinity should have been the first and foremost item in our social-environment to be most carefully looked after and cared-for ! If it happens in modern human society, we would have the most free men here, who not only mind his natural environment, but his social environment too,ie, every person next door. ( see blog on this idea, at: http://newphilosophyoflife.blogspot.in/)
Conclusion
Human freedom is distinctly pertains to his basic existential nature;ie. the way Nature wants him in life ! Without his Freedom in full-swing, he acts cranky,not able to use his unique sense of Reason, and not able to express his 'self' in creative ways. He is often unaware of his own existential-nature , like born-slaves are often unaware of the fullest state of freedom,due to their never being in a full state of Freedom.
What caused this very unfortunate state of affairs in world, where,despite the Freedom of man was almost fully defined,explained and documented during American declaration of Independence ? Concept of freedom of man was some what vaguely introduced during an early time period, during Magna-Carta treaty also.
We have clearly seen that, the myth, or tradition of Freedom-givers ( predominantly the State-Players) had over rode, or emerged more strong than plain human-freedom, in the period that followed after its emergence ! In the West, capitalism, followed by its practical execution in the form of Industrial revolution, played her very damaging role in suppressing the concept of universal-human freedom. The need of upholding plain human-freedom eroded into a realm of BURDEN here, as once explained above. What industry was in need of was order-obeying,if possible meek,creativity suppressed semi-robots ! It was the entrepreneur's creative ideas that was central in the best working of the profit-making enterprise. For its proper execution, what needed was rather semi-robotic human-machines than weird creatures, who needs FREEDOM like undesirable essentials !
Along with, or almost as a complementary development, Political scene of the post-enlightenment era had also emerged anti to human-freedom. Democracy, though universally celebrated and acclaimed as political-system of EQUAL-MEN, in practical reality, turned out a rare chance for the class of people to play King and Queen ! Blog: http://direneedofreinventingdemocracy.blogspot.in/ will explain every back-ground of this serious issue of modern world.
The above two institutional changes in post-enlightenment era modern world had were enough to throw away human-freedom into the realm of 'discarded' ideals, like she had discarded morals and ethics long-ago. It has got narrowed-down into the realm of empty political rhetoric. Every one talks very high of freedom as well as morals, and laugh silently within. They fully realize that the pressing reality of production, and running huge nations is not practical,complying with and respecting, or giving central relevance to human-freedom.
So, though freedom might be the most frequently used word in in every discussion, seminar and rhetoric in modern-world, it is the most absent, therefore badly sought-after essential need, or 'value' by every man, at every moment of his wake-life !He suffers from strange pangs of inner-calls to be free, but he often does not know what he suffer from ! So, those who do not achieve it despite best of his individual and then group efforts, he often turn anti-social, either a vagabond criminal, member of an organized criminal or terrorist gang, and fight for his freedom ! State gain her typical rights when she faces such threats from people; she do not hesitate to use sedition laws, criminal laws, anti-state laws etc. to fight these 'enemies' and reinstate her role as the old archaic state model, RULER and MASTER !
Media and intellectuals will jump to defend State in her such fight, as they are by now need her support in being alive successfully. They will go on defending what ever cranky laws she brings in to defend her rights and proverbial power,such as sedition-laws, her cranky laws to impress right seekers such as those who seek temple entry for women in orthodox nations like India, burkini ban in modern-states like France etc.The real enemy of every man is these archaic POWER-STATES.When citizens does not realize this central fact, they will go on compelling states to enact laws to prevent some acts of other citizens and groups,falsely and neurotically hoping that, it will result in receiving for themselves what they ultimately seek !
Freedom is like air man breath. Man can not live without it even for minutes. Its prolonged absence makes him slave-like,dull entities,wanting to just to exist, not LIVE meaningfully and creatively.Today's world is the best example for the above pitiable state;citizens perpetually struggle for freedom, while not knowing that,it is his most natural state,and what cause non-freedom is his own folly of entertaining wrong-models of FREEDOM-GIVERS. More than ordinary citizens, who is most responsible for the sad state is our men of mind, intellectuals, media-institution etc, who are at a mush higher state-of-mind to realize the great folly, and fight to end the paradox.
Authored by Abraham J.Palakudy
Twitter; Voice of Philosophy@jopan1
An independent seeker, researcher and writer on subjects like mind, reason,philosophy, spirituality and polity
His blogs are at:https://www.blogger.com/profile/14249415589712707293
Contact him at: ajoseph1@rediffmail.com
Probably, the most frequently used 'word' in public sphere today is 'human-freedom'.The entire energy and effort of humanity, both at individual and collective level,was for ensuring that,man enjoys his unhindered freedom in life, and in society/Nation. But,sad fact is that, no one knows, what kind of freedom is true freedom !
Man always aspires for TWO domains of freedom;one, as he an individual,as an integral part or unit in existence under the sky, and two, he as a part of the collective. His urges for expressing, or utilizing both kinds of freedom is equal; he can not ignore one at the cost of other.
We might need examples to illustrate above two kinds of call within man,for existential freedom:
1) He might be enjoying his civil freedom of every kind in some kind of societies, or some kind of political system. For example, the Singapore under her erstwhile founder President Lee Kuan. Excellent external environment for leading a modern civic life was arranged by this man, which was admired by every leader in the world !Many, though secretly, wished to emulate him. There was job for all, excellent civic-amenity in cities and villages,cleanliness everywhere, excellent transport and communication systems,water,air and electricity.Singapore was a real model for a modern-nation !
But,what about individual freedom of citizens to express himself as a unique person? Such a dimension of human-individual was perhaps,not in recognition in his country ! Man is part in the mythical human-community. Individual citizen, as some part of, or a unit of a different organization, whether it is the mother nature/existence, or life as great natural pool independent of his political-belonging-ness to any country, was not a recognized factor in such a system of collective world-view ! Can man write poetry, philosophy,literature etc.that often might go beyond the definition of man simply as a State-subject ? Can he indulge in sculpture,painting or other form of pure Art, that at times goes beyond the State's definition of a citizen? He could perhaps do such things, but such a State has no slot for recognizing and accepting role of such citizens. We remember, whenever a tyrant comes to power, he used to target such men of mind first, for elimination !
Can he go out to beach with his wife or girl-friend, in unorthodox clothing and bathe in nude ? Probably not! Such aspects of freedom, if allowed among citizens, will cause a threat to the common definition and dimension of State-subjects, the classical 'social-order' in society, as devised in such collective system.
2) Freedom as a unique individual was the one West had recognized first. Society,or its utmost organized form, the State, is not allowed to interfere in the matter of such freedom of individual ! State, they said, is the institution or means, should exist, simply to ensure that, such unique freedom of individual is not violated by any one, or especially, the collective agency of State herself.
This kind of freedom of individual was what had been most clearly defined and expressed in the 'American declaration of independence' document:
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"
It may not be false if we assume that, Capitalism as an economic system had derived from the above tenet of unbridled freedom of man. The freedom to 'pursue own happiness'forms the essence of creating wealth.Non-interference from State( laissez-faire) in this activity, forms the 2nd part of Capitalism, both indicating conditions for freedom.
West, and almost every corner of world have already,very distinctly experienced the outcome of such freedom; it produced a handful of excessively rich, those who had sought own happiness, ignoring everything rest around, ie. other people, the environment etc.This world view was based on the belief that,everyone is endowed by Nature to look-after himself, and pursue his way of happiness !
These men who sought unbridled freedom have acquired it, but it converted 99% of world population its dependents and even accessories ! More than half of the wealth and resources of the world had got accumulated into pockets of these men, who are less than 1% of world population. It created unprecedented inequality in society, increased crimes,suicides, deteriorated -environment ( social and physical) caused new diseases, disturbed traditional-social institutions like marriage, family-tie etc.
Millions of people got side-lined from active life sphere, being non-productive, or not at all needed in the commercial-production arena, by these masterly class of men.( Entrepreneurs) and the institution of industrial-production they had established.
If freedom of man is 'self-evident' in Nature,why it is always available only as a gift, a concession or a mercy from State-Players, or some or other 'collectives' of man ?
When we take-up 'human-freedom' , with an aim to understand it at close angles, first question that arise would be, why it is always remain a matter of mercy, or concession from a State-actor ? For freedom, the story is always that of 'great struggles' for it from a seat of Authority, often an institutionalized State-player.Why it has happened this way ? How this particular 'inalienable' and 'self-evident' nature ( feature) of man turned something to be obtained from a third-party State-player ? American revolutionists distinctly and clearly stated that, the one and only, or the primary job of State is to safe-guard and protect this particular natural propensity, and feature of human-creature, or man in existence! Indeed the most sensible explanation, as to why organized society is essential for enjoying human-freedom ! In jungle atmosphere, it could never happen, as it will be always one against other, or many against one, to eliminate the enemy.
Central feature of this inalienable freedom is the aversion of man towards any form of hegemony,or authority, as authority is the enemy no.one of freedom. Authority always desires compliance,unquestioned submission and meekness of those under it, as otherwise, it suffers from existential paradoxes. The only institutional authority that is acceptable to human reason is that has been constituted with the free-will of those who constituted it. But, even if it was constituted with free-will and sense of reason of people, if such State fall back to the only one,known archaic shape of old coercive State,such forms of free-willed States too turns enemy of society. This is what is prevalent in modern-world;democratic govts are elected govts, but, the state institution she forms is the same old archaic,coercive model, leaving the State same as in Kings time. It was this sad State of affairs that prompted this very attempt, to define freedom afresh !
State has no business of ascertaining or establishing it's own entity,independent of the people who constitute her.If that happens, what is the difference between it, and the old time 3rd party States, wherein it was imposed on people with coercion & might of the oppressor ?
It simply means, the well declared ( unprecedented !) American declaration of the freedom and liberty of man, could not be sustained ever after ! Institution of State refused to fall into the noble-mold, that the revolutionists had visualized.The industrial bosses, who controlled the economy of the State, did not want such unbridled freedom for man, as it was rather a menace to their kind of activities in the area of industrial-production, than some kind of a blessing. What industrialists needed was rather 'orders from up-carrying and executing docile 'workers', who formed the 'human-resource' in the industrial-production sphere !
Why then the gradual disappearance of FREEDOM was not NOTICED by mankind ?
Even the citizens who actually do not enjoy essential human-freedom had not complained. What they wanted was freedom from torture in jails, if fired on crowds of people, even if Police baton-charge on them, or fire at them, hitting only beneath the hip, or freedom to take out huge demonstrations on streets against cruel govts etc only ! He too has accepted State as his lawful violator of rights,dignity and humanness !The old myth and tradition of Kings and their likes was viciously alive in the mind of people. They never could imagine that, they could be 'free' in any sense, independent of a State actor at the top ! Modern man is yet to realize, how free he could be, under his own political-system called democracy. The more they behave like old,docile state-subjects under Kings, the more would democratic States-players ACT and BEHAVE like their predecessors.
To emancipate SLAVES from slave owners, world needed an Abraham Lincoln, not a slave among the slaves ! If it were today, modern psychologists would have declared the great man as psychic, suffering from conditions that fails to accept hard-core REALITY in the immediate world around !
This author feels, above acceptance of the existence of the violator of freedom as status-quo is the worst, or most laughable aspect of modern age !Such talks of freedom or basic human-liberty is meaningless when tradition of rights and freedom violator is also an equally accepted feature of modern-world. It is great absurdity, and a ridiculous joke !!
Even when the political-system of the day is called DEMOCRACY, the governmental system of equal-men, State in its old,archaic role now handled by elected representatives of People, is like holding primitive rituals and superstitions in this computer and space-travel age ! It is absolutely incompatible in every sense known to man, as democracy is supposed to be the last of political-systems for mankind. It is supposed to be by his ultimate human-wisdom,sense of Reason and every tenet f common-sense, for him, and of him.
What might be freedom in the ultimate sense, as Nature must have schemed for man, and why ?
For answering the above question, better we look within into our most deep urges and aspirations,instead of looking for support of existing academic-literature. NO known bomb system might be equal to the explosive power of a human-mind ! It is a replica of universe, and the very existence itself, in the matter of its creative urge, and undefined directions it desires to take. Its path is unknown to itself, unlike a Bomb, that is directed towards one singular aim, ie,causing maximum destruction. In the matter of unbridled human-freedom, it aims at destruction, only when it faces obstructions to its above explained unbridled path of dynamism and growth, it should be believed, when tested from our own hearts; when someone creates unreasonable obstruction to one's natural path of fulfilling inherent DRIVES ( please see more about these inherent DRIVES, at:http://unrecognizedobjectsofthemind.blogspot.in/) man turns simply destructive !
In every usual case, he comes back to his senses the next moment. But when a general atmosphere of hostility to natural human DRIVES exists in society/State, like children, citizens adopts permanent hostile behavior patterns, often termed as 'anti-social' traits. In such cases,man simply turns 'non-man', or inhuman ! He, in the usual State's legal terminology, will be termed as 'a threat to society'. But, truth is that, these guys never received any patient listening, or empathy from the collective institutions, especially from its representatives, who often are intoxicated with the 'power' of the state, or similar collective agencies. If the victim citizens turn anti-social, representatives of the State, or similar social or religious collectives with moral or even coercive Power,also turns inhuman, and in every sense, ' anti-social' ! For them, the freedom needing citizens are a big-liability,and burden! This becomes a regular recipe for severe, permanent social-conflict !
Here, the way out is simple. It was very sensibly put-in by Nobel writer, Albert Camus; He wrote,' an age can be called 'civilized' only when she starts sending her criminals to mental-asylums, instead of jails' ! State, or the human collectives are required to be well aware of, and must possess INSIGHT into ultimate human-nature.
What lessons modern society and State players had adopted for treating human-beings ( citizens) were the negative notions about man and human-nature taught by political philosophers Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes famously said about life of man; 'short,nasty and brutish'. A power-state, with adequate coercive means at her disposal, becomes necessary to correct this nature, and compel him back into the path of compliance with state-laws and norms.
Judging from the unbroken ( not-broken in the sense, one's sense of natural self-esteem not broken by the gross inequality, gross tenet of coercion etc. from the side of State and her agencies, or by the society that abide by these collective set-up in the world) natural, sense of self-esteem and dignity that every human person possess, every human being born into life,with some or other unique purpose, with special abilities,propensities and realm of special interest. Man is born with untold compulsion within, to find utmost expression to own, such unique special existential purposes and goals.He is simply helpless, but to find maximum expression for these inherent inner calls. Freedom of man simply demands, unbridled expression of own inner calls, as explained in the blog on 'existential DRIVES' referred above.
When he is defined as part of any greater whole, such as a political or community organization, he naturally encounter a restraint.But many of men find ways to align themselves to such collective wholes, and find fullest expressions for their inner energies and calls. But,many find the restrictions unbearable, and they naturally turn anti-social in the eyes of such Collective-wholes. Laws of the land were basically made to tackle such individuals, as once explained in one of the above paragraphs.
But, one could easily observe from one's immediate world that, those who are treated well, with dignity and acceptance, by every member of society, including those who represent the impersonal -state, ( or any such collective)sense of Reason and good-judgement remain intact, obey rules of the society/community/state with utmost commitment and care. Such well 'valued' and accepted men in society tend to develop a deep sense of self-responsibility towards oneself, and also others ! When impersonal and blindly coercive state and other collective agencies treat him negatively that, citizen-human-beings show tendencies of being anti-social !
This is an important lesson for modern world;if full freedom of man is our goal, it is absolutely necessary that, citizens are accepted,valued, and their sense of dignified self is cared and well-protected by every State player, and other economic, religious and other agents with share in Power !
Complex issues like marital-rape, entry of women into religious places, frequent 'sedition-charges' framed on citizens with frequent tendency to question her, and not complying with her special whims and fancies like 'Nationalism' etc. are direct products of such negative, or apathetic treatment of citizens.People lose their ability to be true, self-respecting individuals, and then every small violation of their silly wishes and whims irritate them, and they turn perpetual agitators!
In a healthy union of two responsible couple, the question of marital rape could never arise.( Marital-rape is a complex issue of FREEDOM now discussed in India !) Proper respect for individual dignity, as specifically enshrined in constitutions such of India in her 'FRATERNITY' clause if delivered to citizens in letter and spirit, every citizen will be a free-unit, free and happy to use his great sense of Reason and good-sense every time, for himself, others, and in matters of State-Laws.
State was an old, often archaic tradition. It is high time our age realize this fact, and free-herself from continuing with her most evil laws,anti-people attitudes, fear of people, and every negative dogma about human-nature. Then a new kind of State model would emerge, fit for democracies, and fit for political-system of, self-respecting, EQUAL-MEN.
The ancient origin of the myth of the State was indeed a sinful story. Following blog will expose it, at link:http://originofestablishment.blogspot.in/
Keeping man free, the way nature want him to be free, is similar to our latest insight into 'ecology'.Nature proved to man that, if he and his collective bodies do not respect,care and look-after her well, she will turn his enemy no-1, causing self-destruction of our environment. When we painfully learned the valued lesson of looking after and caring for our environment, the OTHER MAN in the immediate vicinity should have been the first and foremost item in our social-environment to be most carefully looked after and cared-for ! If it happens in modern human society, we would have the most free men here, who not only mind his natural environment, but his social environment too,ie, every person next door. ( see blog on this idea, at: http://newphilosophyoflife.blogspot.in/)
Conclusion
Human freedom is distinctly pertains to his basic existential nature;ie. the way Nature wants him in life ! Without his Freedom in full-swing, he acts cranky,not able to use his unique sense of Reason, and not able to express his 'self' in creative ways. He is often unaware of his own existential-nature , like born-slaves are often unaware of the fullest state of freedom,due to their never being in a full state of Freedom.
What caused this very unfortunate state of affairs in world, where,despite the Freedom of man was almost fully defined,explained and documented during American declaration of Independence ? Concept of freedom of man was some what vaguely introduced during an early time period, during Magna-Carta treaty also.
We have clearly seen that, the myth, or tradition of Freedom-givers ( predominantly the State-Players) had over rode, or emerged more strong than plain human-freedom, in the period that followed after its emergence ! In the West, capitalism, followed by its practical execution in the form of Industrial revolution, played her very damaging role in suppressing the concept of universal-human freedom. The need of upholding plain human-freedom eroded into a realm of BURDEN here, as once explained above. What industry was in need of was order-obeying,if possible meek,creativity suppressed semi-robots ! It was the entrepreneur's creative ideas that was central in the best working of the profit-making enterprise. For its proper execution, what needed was rather semi-robotic human-machines than weird creatures, who needs FREEDOM like undesirable essentials !
Along with, or almost as a complementary development, Political scene of the post-enlightenment era had also emerged anti to human-freedom. Democracy, though universally celebrated and acclaimed as political-system of EQUAL-MEN, in practical reality, turned out a rare chance for the class of people to play King and Queen ! Blog: http://direneedofreinventingdemocracy.blogspot.in/ will explain every back-ground of this serious issue of modern world.
The above two institutional changes in post-enlightenment era modern world had were enough to throw away human-freedom into the realm of 'discarded' ideals, like she had discarded morals and ethics long-ago. It has got narrowed-down into the realm of empty political rhetoric. Every one talks very high of freedom as well as morals, and laugh silently within. They fully realize that the pressing reality of production, and running huge nations is not practical,complying with and respecting, or giving central relevance to human-freedom.
So, though freedom might be the most frequently used word in in every discussion, seminar and rhetoric in modern-world, it is the most absent, therefore badly sought-after essential need, or 'value' by every man, at every moment of his wake-life !He suffers from strange pangs of inner-calls to be free, but he often does not know what he suffer from ! So, those who do not achieve it despite best of his individual and then group efforts, he often turn anti-social, either a vagabond criminal, member of an organized criminal or terrorist gang, and fight for his freedom ! State gain her typical rights when she faces such threats from people; she do not hesitate to use sedition laws, criminal laws, anti-state laws etc. to fight these 'enemies' and reinstate her role as the old archaic state model, RULER and MASTER !
Media and intellectuals will jump to defend State in her such fight, as they are by now need her support in being alive successfully. They will go on defending what ever cranky laws she brings in to defend her rights and proverbial power,such as sedition-laws, her cranky laws to impress right seekers such as those who seek temple entry for women in orthodox nations like India, burkini ban in modern-states like France etc.The real enemy of every man is these archaic POWER-STATES.When citizens does not realize this central fact, they will go on compelling states to enact laws to prevent some acts of other citizens and groups,falsely and neurotically hoping that, it will result in receiving for themselves what they ultimately seek !
Freedom is like air man breath. Man can not live without it even for minutes. Its prolonged absence makes him slave-like,dull entities,wanting to just to exist, not LIVE meaningfully and creatively.Today's world is the best example for the above pitiable state;citizens perpetually struggle for freedom, while not knowing that,it is his most natural state,and what cause non-freedom is his own folly of entertaining wrong-models of FREEDOM-GIVERS. More than ordinary citizens, who is most responsible for the sad state is our men of mind, intellectuals, media-institution etc, who are at a mush higher state-of-mind to realize the great folly, and fight to end the paradox.
Authored by Abraham J.Palakudy
Twitter; Voice of Philosophy@jopan1
An independent seeker, researcher and writer on subjects like mind, reason,philosophy, spirituality and polity
His blogs are at:https://www.blogger.com/profile/14249415589712707293
Contact him at: ajoseph1@rediffmail.com
