Philosophical Views on Human Freedom

Philosophical Views on Freedom

Schopenhauer: Freedom as Illusion

"Man is free to do whatever he wants, but not want what he wants." One cannot always want what one wants, but rather what one may want. Freedom, according to Schopenhauer, is like a mirage, an illusion tied to his pessimism. Schopenhauer believed that life is a bad deal, not worth the trouble. He tells us that our final decision seems a mystery when facing a difficult choice. The human being is determined by the strongest motive. We let ourselves be carried away by the strongest motive. When the strongest motive asserts its power over the will, the choice is often completely different from what was expected. He argued we are as certain of this determination as we are that water boils at 100 degrees; we always take the opportunity or make the choice that is best for us, driven by the strongest motive.

Sartre: Condemned to Be Free

Sartre's position is a philosophy that makes freedom the essence of being human. The human animal is the only free one because others act on their instincts; man is condemned to be free. Condemned, because he did not create himself, and yet, on the other hand, free because once thrown into this world, he is responsible for everything he does. Even by not choosing, we have chosen, though we may not be aware of it. So, we chose not to choose. Therefore, we can assume that we are always exercising our freedom to choose, and as we are always forced to choose, which is why Sartre said that we are forced or condemned to be free. We are so free that we cannot abandon our freedom, just as we cannot give up the body we have. Even if there were a man who would give up being free and request that he be locked in a prison, even in this case, the man would remain free, because, although his body were confined, his soul and mind would remain free. Sartre argues that in every situation, there is a margin where the subject decides how to respond or choose. Sartre refused the Nobel Prize. He freely chose not to choose that prize.

Sartre on Freedom and Situation

Only in and through the emergence of freedom does the world develop and reveal its resistance... What is an obstacle for me will not be for another. There is no absolute obstacle. There is no freedom but in a situation, and there is no situation but for freedom (dialectic). Obstacles arise depending on the situation. Obstacles exist if one seeks to overcome them. Choices involve confronting obstacles, and one must know how to navigate them.

Frankl: Freedom in Any Circumstance

Man can be deprived of everything but the last of human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to determine his own path. And in the concentration camps, there were always opportunities to choose. The type of person a prisoner became was the result of an inner decision and not just a product of the influence of the camp. Basically, any man could decide what he would become mentally and spiritually, because even in a concentration camp, he could retain his dignity. Inner freedom is never lost. It is this spiritual freedom, which cannot be taken away, which makes life have meaning and purpose.

Nietzsche: Freedom and Will to Power

Freedom is a personal virtue. Some do not want to take responsibility, have faith in themselves, or claim personal merit... Others, conversely, want to avoid being in charge of anything, being held guilty for anything, and aspire, from a deep self-deprecation, perhaps to remove themselves from the path.