The Essential Principles of Freedom

1115 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: My definition of freedom is

Freedom – it is one of the most essential, ever-present, and controversial themes in both literature, and throughout the world. Every day we exercise our freedoms without giving a thought as to how lucky we are to have the freedoms that we do. So what is freedom really? Equality, rights, democracy . . . these are all ideas that come to mind. But what are the essential principles of true freedom? True freedom is constituted by safety, the ability to freely express oneself, and the right to live without oppression from government.
The first essential component in gaining true freedom is safety from?. This does not just include safety from basic, elemental things, but safety from violence, brutality, discrimination, and unsanitary conditions as well. In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he discusses the violent, discriminatory acts taken out against African Americans. In his advocacy for freedom and equality, he proclaims, “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society . . . ” (King 151-157). Part of freedom for African Americans, and for all people, King emphasizes, is safety from violent discrimination. No individual, he argues, can be truly free when they are subject to unnecessary discrimatory violence to and unequal conditions. Another basic human safety right that constitutes true freedom is safety from unfair prosecution. In Rebecca Makkai's short story, "The Briefcase", the ...

... middle of paper ...

... allowing government and police forces to toss aside declarations of rights and freedoms guaranteed to the Egyptian people by their constitution. This allowed the government to oppress its people and silence any whisperings of revolution or change, though obviously it was not as effective as imagined. Nonetheless, this was a sign of an oppressive government and a lack of freedom for the people, two concepts that go hand-in-hand.
Many authors have addressed the concept of true freedom in their work; in letters, essays, short stories, and memoirs. The definition of true freedom has been debated, but there are a few aspects of true freedom that almost all authors seem to agree on – safety, the ability to freely express oneself, and the right to live without been oppressed by the government. If one of these principles is missing, no person can achieve true freedom.

Show More
Related

  • Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1963, when African-Americans were fighting for black and white equality, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” While confined in the Birmingham jail, King felt the need to respond to a letter published in the local newspaper. This letter criticized King’s intentions during his visit by saying they were untimely. As a way to defend his actions, King put together a number of arguments and beliefs that proved why taking direct action was necessary during a time of racial discrimination. Furthermore, to persuade his audience, King had to gain trust and share the emotional connection he had with his people. Today, “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” is known for its articulate and powerful use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

    Read More

  • Freedom In Wael Ghonim's The Letter From Birmingham

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    (H) Freedom is something many crave and fight for. (CS) Freedom has copious attributes and qualities that are present in “Revolution 2.0” by Wael Ghonim, “The Letter from Birmingham” by Martin Luther King Junior, and the ‘Speech at the March on Washington” by Josephine Baker. (G1) Using speech is a glorious way to show your freedom. (G2) People have to be equal to really be free. (G3) Respect is another major quality of freedom. (TH) Speech, equality, and respect all constitute freedom.

    Read More

  • The Book 1776 by David McCullough

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...hile African Americans went through journeys to escape the restrictions of their masters, women went through similar journeys to escape the restrictions of the men around them. Immigrants further strived to fit in with the American lifestyle and receive recognition as an American. All three groups seemed to shape up an American lifestyle. Today, all three of these perceptions of freedom have made an appearance in our lives. As we can see, the transition of freedom from race equality to gender equality shows that freedom has been on a constant change. Everyone acquires their own definition of freedom but the reality of it is still unknown; people can merely have different perceptions of freedom. Nevertheless, in today’s society, African Americans live freely, women are independent, and immigrants are accepted in society. What more freedom can one possibly ask for?

    Read More

  • Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    The forceful subjugation of a people has been a common stain in history; Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was written during the cusp of the civil rights movement in the US on finding a good life above oppressive racism. Birmingham “is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known,” and King’s overall goal is to find equality for all people under this brutality (King). King states “I cannot sit idly. and not be concerned about what happens,” when people object to his means to garner attention and focus on his cause; justifying his search for the good life with “a law that is just on its face and unjust in its application,” (King).

    Read More

  • Freedom: Jackie Robinson And The Pursuit Of Freedom

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the Collins Dictionary, “freedom” is defined as “the state of being allowed to do what you want to do”(“freedom”). The definition of freedom is simple, but make yourself free is not easy. Concerning about some common cases which will take away your freedom, such as a time-cost high education attainment. In this essay, I shall persuade that everyone should try his or her best to insist on pursuing freedom. For the individual, it appears that only if you have your personal freedom, can you have a dream; for a country, it seems that only if the country is free, can the country develop; for mankind, it looks like that only if people has their own pursuit of freedom, can their thoughts evolve.

    Read More

  • Simple Justice

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this story it clearly shows us what the courts really mean by freedom, equality, liberty, property and equal protection of the laws. The story traces the legal challenges that affected African Americans freedom. To justify slavery as the “the way things were” still begs to define what lied beneath slave owner’s abilities to look past the wounded eyes and beating hearts of the African Americans that were so brutally possessed.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Freedom In Alif The Unseen

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    People are terrified of the power that freedom gives them, and even the people who desire freedom are described as “acolytes,” which makes them seem driven by something they don’t understand, in servitude to something else, the opposite of what it means to be free. The Hand’s interpretation of the world is supported again by Alif’s growth throughout the novel. At first Alif is convinced that he covets true liberty from the state for himself and the dissidents around him. He protects people from the Hand and fights State security in a way that sparks revolution. Yet when the revolution actually breaks out Alif realizes “he could talk about freedom but would readily have settled for familiarity” (384). A world full of freedom seems rosy from behind a computer screen, but Alif is scared of that would actually entail. He wants the familiarity of the government controlling the people, enforcing class distinction within society. A world without class and structure in which anything is possible is frightening and extremely far from what is familiar and natural. The Hand’s interpretation of humanity supported by Alif’s personal journey conveys the message that humans’ yearn for classes and order inspire a deep seated fear of liberty and all it

    Read More

  • Theme Of Freedom In The Censors

    504 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea of freedom can be seen throughout Collection 2 in our textbook. Freedom can be seen in the short story “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela when it talks about the freedom of speech. Addition to that, an article “A People’s History Of The 1963 March On Washington” by Charles Euchner shows freedom in its article when it talks about the segregation occurring to colored men. Lastly, freedom is shown in the graphic novel “Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return” by Marjane Satrapi as it shows high restriction.

    Read More

  • The Five Freedoms Of The First Amendment

    2069 Words  | 5 Pages

    What does freedom really mean? Many people today are aware that they have a right to freedom, but do not know what that really means. Religion, speech, press, assembly and petition are the five freedoms that the First Amendment specifically speaks about. Let’s take a look at the definition of each of the five freedoms, what the government says about our freedom, how it is acted out and portrayed in America, and a few case studies involving the different aspects of the First Amendment.

    Read More

  • Four Freedoms

    2334 Words  | 5 Pages

    Ramsis #53 Mon. 4:00-6:40 History 110 Nobiletti 12/12/13 Four freedoms 11 months before the United States of America would declare war on Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American people known as the “four freedoms” on January 6, 1941.1 The main purpose of this speech was to rally support to enter World War 2, however in order to declare war the United States of America had to abandon the isolationist policies that emerged out of WWI. These four freedoms would establish human rights after the war, but more importantly they would resonate throughout the United States for decades after the war. Some of these freedoms have remained the same, and some of these freedoms have changed throughout the years. We will be looking at three periods and comparing how the freedoms varied from each of the three periods.

    Read More

  • The Strangers That Came To Town By Ambrose Flack

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    True freedom is about being accepted. This is especially true in the short story, The Strangers That Came to Town by Ambrose Flack as it further proves that freedom because it allows the individual to fully express themselves without retribution. It shows that true freedom is about being accepted. In this story, the Duvitch family is placed in a community where they struggle with acceptance and freedom and this was shown through three major characters: Mr. Duvitch, Mrs. Duvitch and the Duvitch children.

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Freedom in Poetry by Emily Dickinson and Harriet Jabos

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nothing in life is guaranteed, but the one thing that humans demand is freedom. Throughout history, there are countless cases where groups of people fought for their freedom. They fought their battles in strongly heated debates, protests, and at its worst, war. Under the assumption that the oppressors live in complete power, the oppressed continuously try to escape from their oppressors in order to claim what is rightfully theirs: the freedom of choice. In Emily Dickinson’s poems #280, #435, and #732 and Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, freedom is represented by an individual’s ability to make their own decisions without the guidance, consultation, or outside opinion of others in order to find their true sense of self. Once an individual is physically and spiritually free, they can find their true sense of self.

    Read More

  • The First Principle Of The Declaration Of Independence

    318 Words  | 1 Pages

    “All people are created equal.” The first principle of the government of the Declaration of Independence. What would that mean to you? Do you think they treat everyone fair and equal? I believe that the government does it’s very best to treat everyone fair and equal.

    Read More

  • Of Necessity and Liberty

    1690 Words  | 4 Pages

    For ages, Philosophers have struggled with the dispute of whether human actions are performed “at liberty” or not. “It is “the most contentious question, of metaphysics, the most contentious science” (Hume 528). In Section VIII of An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume turns his attention in regards to necessary connection towards the topics “Of Liberty and Necessity.” Although the two subjects may be one of the most arguable questions in philosophy, Hume suggests that the difficulties and controversies surrounding liberty (i.e. free will) and necessity (i.e. causal determinism) are simply a matter of the disputants not having properly defined their terms. He asserts that all people, “both learned and ignorant, have always been of the same opinion with regard to this subject and that a few intelligible definitions would immediately have put an end to the whole controversy” (Hume 522). Hume’s overall strategy in section VIII is to adhere by his own claim and carefully define “liberty” and ‘necessity” and challenge the contemporary associations of the terms by proving them to be compatible.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Freedom In Existentialism

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    Freedom, a seven lettered word that varies in meaning for every individual. Freedom is the basis of human rights, without the freedom to do as one please, one feels confine. This confinement leads to many interesting tales of human curiosity expanding and exploring, such as Leonardo DiCaprio fascination with corpses or the escaping of where freedom is not a necessity such as North Korea. There are many aspects to freedom, it is reflected in actions, decisions and thought. In existentialism, one’s philosophical approach is that one is free and is the deciding factor of everything that they choose in their life. In existentialism since one has ultimate freedom in everything, without any authority deciding for them, this vast array of thought that can come for anyone from anywhere creates hell for others, because one is unable to control others.

    Read More

More about The Essential Principles of Freedom

Open Document