Freedom Q

Are free will and life actually the same thing?

I believe that a full appreciation of life goes beyond what we typically think when we think of free will; that said, however, free will, in its broadest sense, does, I believe, encompass much (if not all) of the values entailed in "living a full life." Let me explain.

We first encounter freedom as the freedom to act. Satisfying our biological needs frames this freedom. Free will and all it entails, is not just a response to biological stimulus, however. The freedom to avoid the unpleasant and pursue the pleasant has the indirect effect of creating the environment out of which all other freedoms are expressed.

On another level, a higher level, phenomenological freedom allows us to ask questions (pursue inquiry) while theoretical freedom allows us to determine the logical consistency and reasonableness of our answers (analysis). Scientifically speaking, our answers are verified through reliable predictions as they relate to aesthetic experience (the freedom to appreciate the significance of our sensations--witnessed events, beauty, love interests, etc.), and, also, sociologically speaking, these answers hopefully motivate the behavioral changes that result in emotional growth, culminating in psychological maturity.

In other words, as a dynamic process, freedom (free will) is continually being discovered in the “universal limiting space that defines it.” As knowledge accumulates, for instance, life’s expectations and goals may change. The value and meaning of relationships may change. What at one time was sought for pleasure and comfort may, with increased understanding, become unpleasant, and so on and so forth. It seems then, at least from this point of view, that free will and life actually are the same thing.

What is your personal definition of freedom?

Embedded within limiting conditions, freedom seeks to liberate itself from these conditions. Biologically, one adapts to environmental conditions or dies. Sociologically, one works to do no harm, unseat evil with good, and injustice with justice. Psychologically, one wrestles with oppressive demons or surrenders.

If God has given us free will to live our life then .....?

Destiny is living life on a leash--chasing the dreams of others, conforming to expectations, taking the well trodden path. When present and future behavior conforms to past behavior there is determinism, but, when self-aim modifies its response to its environment through the passionate elements of feeling and reason then we experience the freedom to alter destiny.

What do you think freedom is?

In my philosophy freedom is everything, but it comes with a caveat. All freedom is embedded in its own negative space, thus liberation means liberating oneself from freedom's negative space. This process then, comes with the qualification: more freedom is good but not good enough. Success here is always circumscribed by negative space--so the process continues. It's a bit like becoming well educated; the more educated you are, the more you appreciate education. Maybe an even better analogy is found in what some people believe; that is, that freedom is all about climbing a spiritual latter, the more liberation, the more significant liberation becomes, the more significant liberation becomes, the more significant it becomes to share this freedom with others--either by teaching, or by doing the "right thing."