To democracy, freedom of the individual is a basic human right. In communism, freedom of the individual is subordinate to the security of the state. But for most of us, individual freedom is simply something that we take for granted. Today’s topic is a frightening and potentially destructive one.
To fully understand this topic we must ask ourselves an important question. What does it mean to be free? What do we think, what do we understand and feel when we hear or speak the word ‘free’? Philosophers through this history have debated this question, but as science has often proved, the most difficult questions have the simplest answers. Shorn of esoteric ideas and long words, freedom is simply the right to do what we want, when we want, how we want.
However, we must accept that with freedom comes a certain degree of responsibility. We must use our freedom responsibly, if we are to be worthy of it. If we accept this very basic and most reasonable condition, then it is easy to see that individual freedom is not a myth in any way.
As an individual we can do what we want. The very fact that we are here debating this issue, the fact that I am speaking and that you are listening to me, of your own free will, in itself proves that we are free. If we were not free, then we would not be allowed to be here. None of us would be allowed to speak our minds, why we would not even be allowed to think about this issue. If I did not want to speak, nobody could force me to. Throughout the world, every day many people quit their jobs and take up a better job somewhere else or simply become self-employed. If freedom was a myth all those people would have had to continue working even if they didn’t want to. If we were not free, then we would each have had a life history worked out when we were born, and we would simply have followed it like a machine. The very fact that we do not follow a life course which is already charted out by others proves that we do have freedom to decide. That freedom maybe limited or controlled, but it does exist.
Tell me something, you all have studied history to some extent. You know that we Indians struggled long and hard to establish an independent democracy. You know that many other people around the world have given their lives for freedom. Do you really think that we humans are so incompetent and so shameless that we would forget the sacrifice made by so many brave, selfless people? Do we have such a low opinion of ourselves that we are ready to concede that we do not retain the freedom that has been so hard won? If we do have such a low opinion of ourselves, if we are willing to accept this half-truth without putting up a fight, then we really deserve not to be free. But I know that that is not the case. I have faith in people, I have faith in myself. I know that the people of my generation are no worse than those that fought for freedom. And I hope you all know this too.
Now many of my opponents will say that we are not free because we cannot do entirely what we please. They will argue that we are not free because we cannot give up studies and play all day, they will say that we are not free because we have to listen to the advice of elders. They will argue that freedom includes the right to be rude, unreasonable, indecent, the right to hurt oneself and the right to downright stupid in general. But that is not freedom, that’s barbarism. Only people who are civilized, self-controlled and reasonable can lay claim to being free. If we claim the above mentioned ‘rights’, we don’t want to be free, we want to be wild. Freedom is not a license to do anything we want without consideration for others. It is a privilege that must be used responsibly and not abused.
Before I end let me just say something. We are free, but if we willing accept today’s topic we will simply be giving up our freedom. I am sure that is not something anyone wants to do. Freedom cannot be given, it must be taken. We must take our freedom as individuals.