Humanities

What is freedom? »Its definition and meaning

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Anonim

The word freedom comes from the Latin libertas, libertatis (frankness, permission); It is the natural ability of man to act at will without restrictions, respecting his own conscience and the duty to be, to achieve its full realization. It is the possibility that we have to decide for ourselves how to act in the different situations that arise in life. He who is free chooses among certain options those that seem better or more convenient, both for his well-being and that of others, or that of society in general.

What is the Liberty

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The definition of freedom indicates that it is the ability of the conscience to act and think according to the will of the individual. Likewise, another meaning of what the term means is that which defines it as a condition in which a person is not in captivity or prisoner, that is to say that he is not under the subjection of other people.

Another concept of this word is one that indicates the power that people of a certain state have, to act according to their will and within the margins of the law.

On the other hand, what it represents is also linked to concepts such as frankness and trust, especially in its plural form whose meaning is “daring familiarity”.

It is simply a fairly broad value, which is included within the so-called values ​​of society, religious, democratic and human values. For this reason, freedom is studied and analyzed from different branches of science, as is the case with ethics, religion, philosophy, morality, etc.

The freedom of an individual, as well as its preservation, support and limits are of great importance, for this reason it is included within human rights, which are inalienable and are only affected when the autonomy of another person is attacked.

This value must be exercised from individuality, each one with moral responsibility and respect. It should be clarified that it is not only about taking any action without the consequences being important, since on the contrary it refers to knowing how to use the skills that each person has.

Etymological origin

The concept of this term has its etymological origin in Sumerian, specifically from the word “ Ama-gi ”. According to experts, this was the first written form that man used to represent what freedom means. This word when translated literally means "return to the mother", however the reasons for this are still unknown.

In the Castilian language this word is derived from the Latin term " libertas " whose meaning in that language is "the same". On the other hand, in English, the word freedom is “freedom” that originated from an Indo-European language where it means “to love”, a word that comes from the same language to say fear, “afraid” whose origin is similar, used as an antonym of freedom when using the prefix “a”, thanks to the influences that the common Latin language had.

Freedom in society

Nowadays it can be said that people live freely due to two facts that are very common today, first of all it should be mentioned that in democratic countries, citizens have the right to choose who will be their rulers, this apart to enjoy other human rights, which are considered fundamental and must be protected in all countries, some examples may be freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, the right to life, etc.

Another argument is the fact that people are allowed to believe and think freely, and today this can be seen much more, since with the arrival of the internet and with it social networks, it is much easier to echo of any event that happens in the world.

For example, politics, corruption, injustices that occur anywhere, and that allow citizens to express themselves in this regard, either for or against it, if they consider that it should be, thus demonstrating the freedom of expression.

In the same way, another example of this is the possibility of choosing certain things, such as the clothes that are used, the place you want to go, etc.

Freedom in politics

It is a right, but at the same time it is a skill and capacity that citizens have of free expression and determination of their will, regarding the type of social order they want within their environment.

According to liberalism, the definition of political freedom is the capacity that allows actions to be carried out without the government restricting it, however socialism explains it as the capacity that offers access to certain resources by the State without the existence of social limitations.

Types of freedom

Freedom of expression

It can be defined as a fundamental right that human beings have, it consists of the ability to freely disseminate ideas, information and others, through different media. On some occasions, this capacity may be conditioned by certain elements, such as the laws that prohibit the dissemination of some content in some contexts.

A sample of what it is to have free expression is the existence of different audiovisual content that are broadcast by television companies, said content is transmitted within the so-called children's schedule. It should be added that in certain countries the fact that content related to incitement to hatred or violence is transmitted during said hours is penalized by law.

However, there are places where simply the dissemination of content is totally controlled, usually this is characteristic of non-democratic countries.

Freedom of expression is included within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically within article 19, in the same way it is important to mention that freedom of the press and freedom of the press are also one of the ways to express oneself freely.

Freedom of association

The definition of freedom of association or also known as the right of association, is a human right that implies the power to create associations, groups, organizations and others, in order to fulfill a legal objective, also having free choice. to be able to disassociate from them. This right assumes that the members have the freedom to form groups, whether permanent or not, legal persons, etc., which are aimed at achieving an already defined purpose.

Freedom of association, as with the right of assembly, is considered a first-generation human right, however there are those who dispute this claim.

Freedom of movement

It is known as freedom of movement or freedom of movement, the right that each individual has to move freely, either within a certain country or between countries.

Freedom of movement is partially included within the declaration of human rights, specifically in article 13, which indicates that a citizen of any country is free to move and settle in any country that the person it pleases, but always within the framework of respect for the freedom and rights of other people, as well as the freedom to leave that place and return when you wish.

It should be clarified that this article does not include the right of any individual to freely enter another country other than their own, which means that the right to move or the right to immigrate collectively or individually is not protected..

Freedom of worship

It is understood by freedom of worship to the criterion and the capacity that each person has to choose and be part of any religious practice, including the fact of not believing in anything, without having to be branded as a lack of respect or as a criminal.

In the same way, this is reflected in the declaration of Human rights, in article 18, but despite this, each country has legislation that establishes how it is allowed to express itself or what are the limits of said expression.

Freedom of religion apart from the aforementioned, is also recognized within international law through different documents, one of them is the International Covenant

on Civil and Political Rights, specifically in article 27, where it is guaranteed that the followers of the minority religions have the right to practice their religion freely.

Likewise, it is also established in the Convention on the Human Rights of the Child, in article 14, and finally in article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

History of freedom

To understand the term, you need to know its history. Formerly slavery was considered as an institution that part of society had to sign. During the Middle Ages, there are clear demonstrations of how the groups of people that were organized had the authority to demand some privileges from the most powerful, such is the case of the Magna Carta, which was imposed during the 18th century in England to King John without Land, by a series of Barinés from that region. This document has an important value with regard to the freedom of peoples.

Already during the last times of the Middle Ages, the approach arises from the rebirth of freedom of conscience and intellectual freedom, posing various challenges to the already established laws of the Catholic Church.

Later, during the Protestant Reformation, ideas arose that put these freedoms into consideration. Thus also the most important revolutions, had their contribution to individual freedom, ensuring its implementation.

By the seventeenth century, the so-called glorious Revolution ended hundreds of years of struggle to implement restrictions on the great English monarchs, the so-called Bill of Right, which was approved in 1689 by parliament, was accompanied by a government of a representative type in England.

Then in the United States' war of independence, which was fought between 1775 and 1783, he merged both the problem of freedom, with the issue of the freedom of the nation from the yoke of the English, the latter a subject of its own. of the rise of a new nation.

The declaration of independence supposed freedom from the English, and the United States Magna Carta, which incidentally its first ten amendments, contains enumerated civil rights, like the Bill of Right, it was the first step in a chain of successions of national constitutions.

Finally, the French Revolution of 1789 meant the end of the feudal system in that country, establishing a representative type of government system, similar to that established in England.

During the illustration, considered as the inspiration of the French Revolution, he defined freedom as a right with which you are born, which allows you to act without limitation of any kind, all this while establishing the need to create limits to the freedom, in order to establish their own social organization.

Once the divine theory of Royal power was left behind, new theories center power in the people, affirming that tyrannies were formed when said provenance was ignored and individual rights were violated.

Similarly, it is important to note that freedom and its symbolism has served as inspiration for man in different areas, an example of this is art, where different works have been named as the representation of this value, a clear example of this. It is the famous statue of Liberty, whose name is Liberty Enlightening the World, which translated into Spanish means, "freedom enlightening the world."

The Statue of Liberty was built in 1886 and was a gift from the government of France to the United States government, in commemoration of the declaration of its independence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Freedom

What's meaning the word liberty?

It is the ability and right that people have to act without restrictions voluntarily without falling into debauchery (breaking basic rules of society).

What is freedom for?

So that people can act according to the situations that arise without being attacked or violated by other people.

What is freedom of expression?

It is known as the right of people to express themselves without restrictions. Freedom of expression also implies duties and responsibilities, mainly to protect the rights of other people, the state and public order, therefore, one must avoid making propaganda in favor of war, expressing racial or religious intolerance, inciting violence or requesting that illegal actions be taken.

What is freedom of movement?

It is the right or the guarantee that every person has to freely transit, enter and leave a certain country, of course, this may vary according to the region in which the citizen is located.

Why is freedom a right?

According to history and jurisprudence, all people should enjoy the privilege of acting, thinking, working or discerning according to their free will, that is, as they please as long as they do not threaten the freedom and life of others. Freedom is a historical right that should not have a preference for color, race, religion or sexuality.