Freedom because of Society

Canute Peterson February 3, 2012

For centuries the idea of freedom has been discussed and debated among different societies. Different groups have had varying concepts of freedom. The Ancient Greeks believed freedom to be the right to take part in the political process. Anarchists throughout history have held to the belief that true freedom is the capacity to do what one wants, when one wants. However, these definitions are not complete. True freedom is not merely the freedom to choose your actions, it is the freedom to choose your consequences. True freedom is only possible when rights are protected by a society, because otherwise there is no fixed consequence for certain actions, leaving individuals trapped in the fear of the unknown. Society is a collection of groups or individuals developed for the benefit of its members. For nearly all of man's history there have existed societies and communities. This would not be if there was no benefit to those composing these groups. One of these very real benefits is the rule of law and the sense of protection and freedom that comes with it. It has been shown throughout history that people will accept tyranny when faced with the possibility of anarchy because despite the possible loss of personal rights, those under tyranny have a sense of stability that does not exist in anarchy, allowing them the freedom to leave their homes, work, and live without fear of the unknown. In a society there are rules, laws, or guidelines. Many of these follow the idea of natural law, or the concept that there is a right and wrong and certain things are right and certain things are wrong. For example it is generally accepted that murder and thievery are wrong. Based on this idea, groups of people make rules and attach punishments. In this way people know that if you kill someone you will go to jail or even be killed yourself. The threat of consequences decreases the likelihood of violence and robbery, giving the everyman freedom from fear and allowing him to live as he will. Thus society protects people's rights and allows them the freedom to act and freedom from the adverse decisions of others. In a state of

nature, or state without society or community, man is not truly free, for while he may have the capacity to act, there is also the very real possibility of him being acted upon without the safety net of societies rules and regulations. Anyone can do anything. To some that would appear to be true freedom. But this leads to a system of survival of the fittest, or natural selection. In this system, there is no guarantee of safety. Lock stated that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and property. (Lock) This defines people's inherent rights. However, man may have the right to life, but this is only a freedom when others respect that right. If another person disregards this mans right to life, he could kill him. Without a society to protect them, those who are not the fittest are trapped in the fear of the unknown possibility. Anarchy provides only a superficial freedom and only to the fittest thereby depriving the rest of a fullness of their natural rights and freedoms. The truth of the matter is, there is not even a guarantee of rights and freedoms for the termed fittest, as anyone would be able to act upon them without fear of retribution from society. Freedom to act as you wish is an incomplete definition of true freedom. The freedom to weigh consequences and act accordingly, thus deciding the course of your life, is what grants true freedom, and this is only available to those who belong to a society. Society's very rules and limitations are what set people free from fear and the whims of those who would take advantage them. John Locke argued that society is developed for the benefit of man otherwise man would not agree to abide in it. Men join together and create groups, termed communities or societies, and establish the rule of law to protect their rights and in doing so ensure their freedom.Under the rule of law, we alone determine what happens to us. That's how the law makes us free. (Fox 39) Without society, there is no rule of law. Without the rule of law, there is no protection from men seeking to take advantage of others as there are no consequences for their actions. Without protection from anarchy and inequality, there is no freedom.