WHAT IS FREEDOM?

[Clifford Black]

Freedom

Recently, I had the opportunity to enter into a discussion about the subject of freedom.  After hearing what John had to say about the condition that is known as being free, I quickly realized, this nut does not have a clue as to what freedom might possibly be.  While thinking about what John was saying, it dawned on me that this may be a subject that needs investigating.  For most of my life I have heard people say things like: "I live in a free country" or "this (America) is a free country" on and on.  I am producing a web-radio show and I am thinking that maybe an interactive dialog about what some of us think freedom actually is could be quite interesting.  In other words, questions like: where did we get our ideas about freedom from.  Is the data that we have, true or false, is it (the data), based on belief or knowledge?  If you are interested in joining this discussion please leave a comment. 

B.

 

[ARi Hotep]

Asr Ra Imhotep Hotep- Im not quite ready to respond but this is interesting. Just the fact and thoughts of when did I learn and where did I learn about freedom.

[Clifford Black]

I CHOOSE to continue to think about this issue---I hope that there are others who 'Just won't let GO!!

B>

[Nadine]

I am interested, as of right now my judgement is that my ideas of freedom are belief driven.

[Clifford Black]

Revelation comes to a person, because of realization, the end product being a level of insight. Insight is something that the mind learns how to do as a function of the being. Learn to use your higher sensory perception, this capacity is a level that is different from the five physical senses and is not a capacity for the average human being.

B.

[Eric D. Jenkins]

I am definitely interested, namaste lord

[E Donelson II]

Literally speaking, freedom is defined as several 'things' that none of which can easily be randomly attached to the individual. Maybe if we took a different approach to defining freedom, as maybe a metaphor or simile, then we might begin to look at freedom clearly or at least clearer. As a metaphor freedom could be thought of as a literary figure of speech. There it is being used to connote the unrestrained spirit or unimprinted thoughts of the so called 'free man'. In any case, even as metaphor freedom can hardly be attached to the individual as the spirit of man seems to have been shackled by those who oppose freedom since time immemorial through the use of  greed, immorality and death. Then freedom appears as nothing more than an alleged panacea, an elusive dream or "pie-in-the-sky" rhetoric. As a simile woould society allow him to enact his truth to this supposed meaning of 'freedom' without tax or retribution? Could logic afterall dictate truth? Does the design of civilization consider much of logic or even humanity as it pole-axes it's way to domination and oppression? So what of free-will and self determination? It is my thinking that freedom will forever be relegated to implication as opposed to actual implimentation. I submit that freedom cannot be legislated and will never move beyond its place among the bards of thespia or dreamers of destiny. There will be those who will exercise what they call 'freedom' and enjoy what they percieve to be those fruits, but I bear this in mind always, my truth may not be 'the truth' and what I believe is freedom may only be...an illusion! #hmmph

[Clifford Black]

Namaska E.

Now this post is a start at getting involved in the examination of the subject, which must happen before consensus can be reached about an ojective that can be accomplished.

B.

[Clifford Black]

This is a part of a deleted post---pulling it together, thinking that it is important to stay with this thread.

This is something that might be considered when thinking about FREEDOM.  Find the complete quote that the speech below comes from and add this thought to what you are thinking about freedom.  This is a link to the freedom thread.

"IF there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder or lightning. They want the ocean without the roar of her mighty waters. The struggle may be a physical one, and it may be a moral one, or it may be both moral and physical, but there must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without demand. It never has and it never will.”
Frederick Douglass

B.

[Clifford Black]

And now we look at what a thinker was thinking, about this issue.http://www.jkrishnamurti.org