Freedom

How does the belief in freedom vary according to different perspectives?

What I Believe

Personally, I believe that all of these beliefs have merit. I agree with Frankl that everyone has a choice to interpret his or her circumstances differently, to take a metaphorical stand. But I also believe that our bodies and our genes have an impact on our ability to have a positive attitude. For example, people with clinical depression are unable to 'think happy thoughts' because the chemicals in their brains (as determined by their genes) are not properly balanced.

As for social determinism, I do believe that society and our upbringing have an impact on how we act and the decisions we make. Of course, if my parents raise me to make the 'right decisions', I am going to be more inclined to do so. However, many people go through the same or similar circumstances, yet each individual will react differently and go on to live completely different lives.

In regards to religious determinism, I don't believe that God makes our decisions for us, rather He knows us so well that He already knows what we will decide. Additionally, I believe that He made us all with a purpose in mind, and if we are lucky enough to live according to this purpose, we will be incredibly fulfilled.

Lastly, I agree with The Matrix in that many people choose to live their lives ignorant of the fact that they have the freedom to change things. So many people just accept their circumstances, that people are starving or that their is a war going on, because they believe that there is nothing that they can do about it.

Ultimately, I believe that freedom is a choice which we are all capable of making. True freedom requires responsibility and a true want to make the world better.

Freedom

Religious Determinism

According to religious determinism, freedom is merely a human illusion. In reality, God has already determined the entire course of the world, including a person's own history. He has already decided who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. In this way, humans are not responsible for their choices, as God has not granted them the freedom to choose for themselves. This mode of belief was especially prominent in Puritan society, which is a form of Calvinism.

Social Determinism

Naturalism

"The hypothesis that social interactions and constructs alone determine individual behavior (as opposed to biological or objective factors). "

-wordiq.com

Naturalism states that human choices are dictated by out genetic make-up. Therefore, as humans, we are not responsible for our decisions. For how can we be responsible for something we are born with and have no control over?

As people, we all have a history. We have parents who have instilled their ideals and values in us, friends who have influenced us, a society which has pressured us. In this way, social determinism dictates that no one person is responsible for their actions, as their past experiences determined their decision for them. How can freedom exist when we have no conscious control over what has happened to us?

The Matrix

Viktor Frankl

The Matrix, despite the fact that it takes place in a dystopian society controlled by artificial intelligence, is a really a study on whether or not people, in our society, are truly free. In order to be free, according to the movie, we must be knowledgeable of all that is influencing us, and those that are free, make choices for themselves and the good of society based on what they believe, even if it would be easier to choose based on the influences. Freedom itself is a choice.

"Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him - mentally and spiritually."

-Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl believed in 'the last human freedoms': that a person has the ability to choose what attitude to apply to a certain situation. He believed that, no matter the circumstance, we can choose to 'stand up' to our injustices. As humans, we have the ability to be responsible for our decisions despite circumstances and are therefore 'free'.