The Denotative meaning of freedom can be expressed through the dictionary definition, through antonyms and synonyms from the thesaurus, and from a negative definition. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines freedom as “the state of being free from the control or power of another.” But freedom cannot be defined that easily. While The thesaurus tries to define freedom with the use of synonyms like liberty and self-government. Liberty and self-government are both parts of freedom, both are required to have freedom. Liberty allows U.S. citizens to have the right to choose how they live their life.
The highest moral right is liberty and from it any other goods will follow. These secondary rights could include freedom to get married, or be a musician, but these are to be pursued privately. Negative liberty is “freedom from”, only when an individual is free to make his own decisions and actions without coercion is a person truly free (Machan 5). This “freedom from” emphasizes right before good. According to Hospers The essential ingredient in all freedom from coercion by other is one’s basic and inalienable right; it is fundamental to human survival and the development of the self (Machan 8).
Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct. The instant case involves liberty of the person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions Is liberty just what is specifically spelled out in our constition. Every law exists on two levels. One level concerns the words used by the legislature to express its will. The second level concerns
Society is coordinated and unified by the general will. All people are born free, but the natural freedom is not achieved until these people enter into a social contract. According to Rousseau, natural freedom is acquired by allowing the General Will to be the ruling factor of a government. In order to enter into Rousseau's social contract, personal freedom must be given up. By disregarding the state of nature, the powers of each individual is directed towards a common interest.
Finally, I will state which viewpoint I agree with and give my reasons why. Determinism is stated as “the view that every event, including human actions, is brought about by previous events in accordance with universal casual laws that govern the world. Human freedom is an illusion” (Chaffee 141). As the definition bluntly states, people who believe in determinism believe that everything is predetermined based on prior events and people and do not believe that humans have free will. In the philosophical view of determinism with respect to free will, it focuses more on the circumstances surrounding the agent instead of just the individual agent.
However, Parliament is sovereign and civil rights and liberties have been put suspended but only in the interests of law and order or national security. Unlike many other democracies, the government retains control over rights and freedoms of citizens. Democracy can lead to the abuse of power and there are fears that if those who govern are left to their own devices, they may claim substantial amounts of power and begin to abuse their position. By making governments accountable to the people, this can be prevented. Governments must submit themselves regularly to re-election and by guaranteeing that they are controlled by elected representatives, the people can feel safe from the corruption of power.
Every human has rights but they also come with responsibilities to maintain that right. They originally are given the right of freedom in a governed state but they have the responsibility to follow the laws of the state. The debate over whether prisoners should be allowed the right to vote is a heated issue. The laws vary from country to country, and even from state to state in the United States. The laws governing prisoners' right to vote are often referred to as disenfranchisement laws.
Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg address, wrote “government of the people, by the people and for the people.” Lincoln suggests that these freedoms in the constitution are for all people not a limited few (Basler, n.pag). Even though there are many people who reinterpret the rights and laws laid out on the Constitution, all people should have the right to vote. Groups such as democratic followers state that people don’t care anymore, therefore, maybe only those who pay attention should have this right. If this happens will disorder follow? Where will it end?
We are governed by public and private interests. These interests are based on our very own constitution that is set up to give everyone an opportunity to succeed in our growing culture. American Exceptionalism is partially a reflection of our nation’s long history, but Americans can tend to be ethnocentric and judge other cultures by the standards of their own. When a lot of people think of America, they think about a country that is made up of a mixing bowl of races and ethnicities. They think of a culture that is founded on constitutional rights and god given freedoms that everyone should have.
1). Freedom of expression is a key element of democratic rights and freedoms. It gives American citizens the right to communicate their views. According to the Supreme Court, the freedom of expression is “the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other