Is it possible to achieve freedom? Well, first let’s define freedom. Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. According to this definition, no we cannot achieve freedom. In the world we live in today there are laws in place which we must follow and responsibilities we must fulfil to ourselves and to others. We can achieve freedom only to a certain extent but ultimately, we still have rules and responsibilities that that will keep us from acting on our own free will.
Firstly, we cannot consider ourselves truly free if we conform to the laws imposed on us by our governments. The laws have outlined many things we cannot do like committing murder or stealing. Even our speech is controlled through anti-hate laws. Breaking these laws can have serious consequences like fines and prison sentences. Although these laws are in place for the safety of individuals and their property and to basically keep order in our society, these laws prevent us from doing and saying whatever we wish.
Secondly, many of us are bound to finances in order to have even the necessities in life. This is especially true in developed countries. We cannot live if we don’t have a job to support ourselves. To put this into perspective the average household expenses in Ontario as of 2016 is around $89,000 and those are only including essential things. It doesn’t include things like internet, phone or entertainment.
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Furthermore, true freedom cannot be achieved if we have other people who are dependent on us for their survival. For example, having a family. Families are a huge responsibility especially if children are involved. You must feed them, buy them clothes, take them to school, buy them medicine when they are sick. There is not only a financial obligation to children, but parents also must spend time teaching their children and helping them grow. If a parent refuses to do these things they could risk having their children suffer or even taken away from them by the government.
Our world wouldn’t progress if everyone did what they wanted and didn’t follow any rules or societal or social norms. If everyone suddenly adopted the mindset of just doing whatever they pleased, then the world as we know it would cease to exist and our own lives may be as good as we would expect it to be with complete freedom.
True freedom cannot be acquired as there are laws in place regulating what individuals can and cannot do with consequences attached to them. Individuals are forced to work in order to live in a developed society and duty-bound to responsibilities like their families. If one chooses not to conform to society, they become an outcast in their community. In conclusion we can only obtain partial freedom in order to remain a part of society or else we may face isolation from our communities.
