Freedom Is Intended As A Challenge, By Naomi Wolf

Freedom has been the central belief of America since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since this day, America has worked hard to keep the idea that America is the “land of the free.” However, throughout the construction of this nation, freedom was defined differently by each person. Freedom to African Americans meant liberty from enslavement and land ownership. Freedom to Europeans meant freedom of religion and government. Freedom was not equally given to everyone in this nation. Although America is known to be the land of opportunity, people such as African Americans and Native Americans did not experience those opportunities and the definition of freedom equally with white Americans. (EMPHASIZE THESIS)

Many centuries ago people have brought authority to the most of human activities themselves; therefore, it still controls and imposes individuals in actions and wishes. Eventually, ¬nowadays freedom has become one the most desired thing. People instinctively think that freedom is the thing that cures the world and authority is the thing that infects the world. Even though, step by step human beings are getting to be used to believe that authority is a dangerous and terrible thing. Humans return to authority even if they have the freedom, because their answer lies in comparison. Societies’ common sense becomes higher than people’s nature, so they start to understand that for the bright future they need the authority, because the freedom is very quick and unstable moment and the source of freedom is authority. Surely, at the beginning concept of freedom is very tempting, you feel free to do everything you want. Freedom gives you opportunities to live in a way you want. However, humans’ egoism and selfishness disturb others’ freedom, because they think freedom is something that will solve their life problems and reduce responsibility from them. These circumstances make humankind incapable of using their freedom and create chaos. Thus, persons realize that it is necessary to create something that can control them and prevent chaos.

“When people talk of Freedom of writing speaking or thinking. I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall speak no more”.says John Adams about what he thinks about freedom. When I think of this, it makes me think of all the patriots,marines, and soldiers that have fought for freedom, all the people that have died trying to fight for this, but… we manage to get what we deserve.

During the Reconstruction era, the idea of freedom could have many different meanings. Everyday factors that we don't often think about today such as the color of our skin, where we were born, and whether or not we own land determined what limitations were placed on the ability to live our life to the fullest. To dig deeper into what freedom meant for different individuals during this time period, I analyzed three primary sources written by those who experienced this first hand. These included “Excerpts from The Black Codes of Mississippi” (1865), “Jourdan Anderson to his old master” (1865), and “Testimony on the Ku Klux Klan in Congressional Hearing” (1872). The ability to have absolute freedom is a common theme in these three documents. Freedom means more than just having the independence to make your own decisions and pursuing your own happiness. The hopes of Reconstruction were to create

Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. The search for freedom is exemplified in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. One of the main protagonists, Macon has the ideology suggesting freedom relies on materialistic values. He teaches this idea to his son Milkman (the other protagonist), in which he learns throughout his encounters of life, that his father’s ideology of money being freedom is not what brings a prosperous life but himself going on his own journey experiencing his own enlightenment on life, so that he may have a personal understanding of freedom. Thus, the validity of “money is freedom” is not valid, due to understanding freedom can be subjective.

Thomas Jefferson and Niccolo Machiavelli both believe that the actions of the people shape the characteristics of the ruler and define the type of authority that will be held towards the people. Machiavelli, the first great political philosopher of the Renaissance, argues all men are untrustworthy due to their selfish, self-interested and impulsive ways of life in his writing, The Morals of the Prince, and therefore, to keep the people under control the ruler must be prepared to be cruel and instill fear among the people. Opposing Machiavelli is Jefferson. In The Declaration of Independence Jefferson believes people can be trusted since they have the ability to make their own decisions. Whereas Machiavelli supports tyranny, Jefferson believes

The phrase, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe”, by H.L. Mencken, an American essayist and social critic, is an accurate and agreeable statement. What Mencken is trying to say here is that people in this society don’t really look for freedom to do whatever they want, instead they look for the feeling of safety because without safety you can’t live life to the fullest. What is freedom if you don’t feel safe? Mencken’s quote emphasizes the true meaning of safety and gets you thinking about what it would be life if we didn’t have that. Many would give up their rights in order to be safe and protected in times of fear which is why Mencken’s statement is accurate with this society. There has been many occasions and attacks that has led people to be willing to give up their rights in exchange for safety. In this society, there are many things that can happen that people fear which is why they choose to be safe so that they don’t have to live in constant fear.

H. L. Mencken wrote “the average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” I agree with this quote because of the deeper meaning it has behind it. In today’s society, people do not seem to have ambitions or dreams that they want to pursue. A lot of people settle with a job that pays just enough to make a living or they do not go beyond their limits to get a higher education to be able to make more money. These people are overcome by fear. They are afraid to continue moving forward and taking risks.

The assignment will be investigating the democracy of Aristotle and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Democracy in itself can be very different and varies from form to form. The assignment will investigate Aristotle’s view and Jean Jacques Rousseau concepts on state and man, the governess of the state, freedom and man .Each of these topics will be contrast on the views of Aristotle and Jean Jacques Rousseau alongside each other. Each of these philosophers’ key points will be looked and the inner working of out they thought a city should be run.

There are riots breaking out everywhere, everyone is melancholy as a result of the government no longer protecting your pursuit of happiness. What do you do? The year is 1776. The United States are done with Britain controlling them and forcing laws on them. Thomas Jefferson is commissioned to put an end to all of this with a document known as the Declaration of Independence. Within this, Jefferson wrote some of his ideals and beliefs into the Declaration for the United States to follow, such as Equality, the rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, and a few others. All of these ideals were vital to all Americans, but this document will explain why equality, the three unalienable right, and the ability to alter or abolish government

Anyone in the world with an occasional source of internet has no choice but to see the seemingly outrageous news stories, posted weekly on events in the US. American’s have made their distrust in the government more than obvious, which in many cases, the government has provoked. The largest debate in the states today is the with the concept of freedom and where the lines are drawn between social security, equality, and one’s rights. Freedom is and always has been heavily emphasized in the development of the 50 states. It’s brought peace and war both figuratively and literally. At a moment when America should be more equal and free than ever, why do so many citizens feel their freedom is being threatened? Freedom of speech is a

Negative liberty is freedom from restraint. From this essay, we can make out that Berlin is an admirer of J.S. Mills and his principles. Mills viewed any type of constraint as a violation of a human being’s ‘natural’ rights. To quote Berlin,

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, once said, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. This means that being free is more than not being physically locked up, but to go beyond the physical. It is about living life in a way that helps others achieve the freedom that they deserve. In the novel, Among the Hidden, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Luke Garner is a third child and because of the Population Law he is illegal and doesn’t have the freedom that his brothers have. Similarly, in “Two Sisters Two Americas”, by Brooke Ross, Veronica Saravia came to the US without permission, making her an illegal immigrant, yet her younger sister, who was born

True freedom is commonly defined as absolute choice; whether it is in thought, actions or speech, freedom is an individual’s ability to take control of their lives and enables the human experience. Civilization views freedom as an ideal, yet the means of achieving it and whether or not freedom is truly achieved remains ambiguous. There are often individuals in civilized society who struggle and believe themselves to be free after a hard earned victory against oppression. Yet, the implications of maintaining a civilized social structure upon freedom is often overlooked. Many individuals view themselves as free from a subjective standpoint, although true freedom has an absolute meaning. Having true freedom would suggest the ability to develop independently as an individual, yet it becomes evident that in the societies of Brave New World and the Great Gatsby, the existence of social structure prevents true freedom from ever existing.

In the excerpt, “The Story of American Freedom” Eric Foner analyzes how changing the meaning of freedom helps Americans obtain the desire for economic opportunities, political equality, and social acceptance. Primarily, the economic side of defining freedom in America varies drastically by the era that we are living in and how the country is modernizing. The term freedom can change when it comes to political equality. The government says that every citizen is equal but in society every citizen is not equal. Also, Foner demonstrates social freedom as a privilege and that important social issues are prioritized even though many issues should be treated with the same importance and attention. While may other factors take part of defining the term