Other Definitions
freedom (dict)
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Freedom - For proper-noun uses of 'Freedom', see Freedom (disambiguation).
Freedom refers, in a very general sense, to the state of being free (i.e.: unrestricted, unconfined or unfettered). In Philosophy and History The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau asserted that the condition of freedom was inherent to humanity, an inevitable facet of the possession of a soul and sapience, with the implication that all social interactions subsequent to birth imply a loss of freedom, voluntary or involuntary. See Liberty for the main article on freedom in philosophy and history. Freedom has often been used a rallying cry for revolutions. For instance, the bible records the story of Moses leading his people away from slavery, and into Freedom. In a famous speech Martin Luther King Jr. said My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring! The ama-gi, a Sumerian cuneiform word, is the earliest known written symbol representing the idea of freedom. Usage - Economic freedom is sometimes equated with economic power. The term as used by economists usually means the degree to which economic actors are unfettered by governmental restrictions, as in the Index of Economic Freedom. Some economists, such as those responsible for the Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation Index, frame the issue of economic freedom as "the degree to which the public sector interferes with the private sector," and argue that the less a government acts to interfere with the economic freedoms of businesses and individuals (such as through taxation or law), the healthier the economy will tend to be. Other schools of economic thought argue that the public sector need not always be seen as an unwanted intruder on the economy, that government action should not be seen as necessarily interfering or freedom-infringing. (See also http://cf.heritage.org/index/pastScores.cfm)
- Freedom of expression (or speech) is similar to freedom of information, but refers to a general lack of such restrictions (on the creation, use, modification and dissemination of ideas) in a society by the government or those that hold power in that society.
- For the shorter term, being free also means having holidays, weekend, finished work for the day, having a break.
- Political philosopher Gerald MacCallum designed the following concept of freedom, allowing for its 'fleshing out' into many different conceptions: "X is free/not free from Y to do/not do/become/not become Z."
International Trends During the 20th century, the number of states, calling themselves democratic increased. In 2000, over half of the world population lives in so-called democracies.Almost all more developed states proclaim themselves democracies. Almost 2/3rds of less developed countries call themselves democracies. Data for the past several decades from the Freedom House and the US Census International Database show that freedom increased for both less developed and more developed countries. However, using population to examine freedom in less developed countries shows: 1. Only moderate growth in the number of people in freedom in Less Developed countries. 2. Significantly less freedom and less growth in freedom than might be indicated by looking at freedom using countries as the unit of analysis. For example, over 50% of less developed countries are democracies. However, only 32% of people in less developed countries live in countries that are free. Finally, a number of less developed countries gained freedom, while a number lost partial freedom. (No countries went from Free to Not Free.) Word equivalents in other languages Quotes about freedom - The Eagles : "Freedom? Oh, freedom, that's just some people talking, you're in chains while you walk through this life on your own."
- Funkadelic : "Freedom is free of the need to be free."
- "Eλευθερος γ θανατος" (Freedom or Death!)
—Cretan War cry. See also References For International Trends External links
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