Realms of Freedom~Chpt. 2.
These four thinkers were the personal favourites of my teacher, and here I will try my best to depict Husserl, Hegel, Rousseau, and Descartes' notions of freedom
Husserl's notion of freedom: In his work, Husserl speaks of two different types of freedom – formal and material. Formal freedom is the negative freedom of being free from external constraints, while material freedom is the positive freedom of self-determination. For Husserl, both types of freedom are necessary for a truly free life. Hegel's notion of freedom: Hegel's conception of freedom is more complex than Husserl's. For Hegel, our freedom is not simply a matter of being free from external constraints, but must also be understood in relation to our relationships with others. We are only truly free when we are in harmony with others and recognized by them as free individuals. Rousseau's notion of freedom: Rousseau's notion of freedom is similar to Hegel's, in that he also emphasizes our relations with others. However, for Rousseau, the key to freedom is not recognition by others, but rather the development of our own individual selves. We are only free when we are true to ourselves and our own desires and passions. Descartes's notion of freedom: Descartes' notion of freedom is based on his famous principle "cogito ergo sum" – I think, therefore I am. Descartes argues that there are two realms of reality: the material world, which is governed by the laws of nature, and the mental world, which is governed by the laws of reason. He further argues that human beings have free will in the mental realm, because they are not subject to the deterministic laws of nature. Thus, for Descartes, freedom exists in the realm of the mind, where we can choose our own thoughts and actions. This freedom is what allows us to pursue our goals and dreams, and it is what makes us uniquely human.
We continue our philosophical investigation of freedom. I'd want to thank all of the teachers that helped me out when I was a teenager and made me read books like a rat. To continue with this research, I had to pause and ask myself, What really is freedom, and are we born free? Or were we meant to be free? In order to understand the notion of ourselves and how that self interacts with reality, we dispute the phony reality that is in this museification of the self. I will outline the principles of freedom found in major philosophical works in order to construct a framework to examine (and argue) if a fabricated version of ourselves may liberate us.
Husserl's notion of freedom
In his work, Husserl sought to articulate the conditions that make freedom possible. He argued that freedom is not simply a matter of individual will or choice, but is grounded in our shared social and historical structures. These structures provide the framework within which we can act freely. Without them, we would be at the mercy of chance or fate.
Husserlian freedom is the ability to act without being determined by external forces. This includes both the freedom to act in accordance with one's own desires or intentions, and the freedom to act independently of any external constraints. In Husserl's view, freedom is not simply the absence of constraint, but the ability to act in accordance with one's own will. This requires not only the absence of physical or psychological coercion, but also the ability to access and act on the relevant information required to make informed choices. Husserl's notion of freedom has been influential in both philosophy and psychology. In philosophy, it has been used to argue for the existence of free will and to critique determinism. In psychology, it has been used to understand how people make choices and to investigate factors that can lead to poor decision-making.
Hegel's notion of freedom
In his book, "The Phenomenology of Spirit", Hegel discusses the idea of freedom in great detail. He believes that freedom is something that must be fought for and won, rather than something that is simply given to us. This is because, in order for us to be truly free, we must first overcome our own limitations. Only once we have done this can we be free to act in the world as we please.
Hegel's idea of freedom is closely linked to his concept of self-consciousness. For Hegel, self-consciousness is not simply a state of being aware of oneself, but rather a process of constantly striving to achieve greater levels of understanding. It is through this process that we come to realize our own potential and learn to control our own destiny.
Freedom, for Hegel, is therefore not something that can be attained overnight; it is something that must be slowly worked towards over time. But once achieved, it is a state of being that allows us to live life to the fullest and realize our true potential as human beings.
Rousseau's notion of freedom
In his work, "The Social Contract," Jean-Jacques Rousseau argues that freedom is not possible in a society where there is inequality. He believes that the only way to achieve equality is through a system in which everyone agrees to be governed by the general will, or the will of the people. This system would allow for each person to have an equal say in the decisions made about the community, and would prevent anyone from having too much power.
Rousseau's ideas about freedom were very controversial at the time, and many people disagreed with him. Some argued that freedom was only possible in a society where there was inequality, because it allowed for different people to have different roles and responsibilities. Others argued that Rousseau's ideas would lead to chaos and anarchy, because there would be no one in charge.
Despite the criticism, Rousseau's ideas about freedom and equality have had a lasting impact on political thought. His ideas influenced the French Revolution and the development of democracy.
Spinoza's notion of freedom
In his book "Ethics", Spinoza argues that the only way to achieve true freedom is to understand and live in accordance with the universal laws of nature. He believed that humans are part of nature, and subject to the same laws as everything else in the universe. According to Spinoza, if we can align our actions with these laws, then we can achieve a state of true freedom.
This may sound like a tall order, but Spinoza believed that it is within our power to do so. He argued that we have the ability to reason, and through reason we can gain knowledge of the universal laws of nature. Once we know these laws, we can act in accordance with them and achieve true freedom. Spinoza believed that the only way to achieve true freedom was to be in harmony with nature. He believed that humans were not free when they were governed by their passions and emotions, but were only free when they were able to rise above them. This required a deep understanding of the natural world and a commitment to living in accordance with its laws. Spinoza believed that this was the only way to achieve true happiness and fulfilment.
Of course, this is not easy. It requires a great deal of effort and discipline. But Spinoza believed that it is worth it, because true freedom is the highest good attainable by human beings.
Descartes's notion of freedom
In his meditations, Descartes argues that the only thing that cannot be doubted is that he exists. From this, he concludes that his thoughts must come from him, and therefore he can trust them. He further argues that the material world must be separate from the mind, because it is possible to doubt its existence. Therefore, he concludes that matter does not really exist and only minds (including himself) are real.
Descartes' arguments for the existence of minds and the nonexistence of matter have been highly influential. Many philosophers have accepted his conclusions and built upon them. Others have rejected his arguments, but even they have been influenced by his thinking.
"Cogito ergo sum" is a Latin phrase that means "I think, therefore I am." This phrase is used to describe the philosophical concept of self-awareness. The philosopher René Descartes first used this phrase in his 1641 work Meditations on First Philosophy. The idea of self-awareness is closely related to the concept of consciousness. Consciousness is defined as the ability to be aware of your surroundings and make decisions. The philosophical concept of self-awareness is the idea that we are aware of our own thoughts and experiences. This means that we are able to reflect on our own thoughts and emotions, and we are aware of our own existence.The concept of self-awareness has been studied extensively by philosophers and psychologists.
Philosophers have looked at the idea of self-awareness from a number of different angles, including its relationship to knowledge, reality, and ethics. Psychologists have also studied self-awareness, looking at how it develops in children and adults, and how it can be affected by things like mental illness and substance abuse.
