Concept of Individual Liberty Development - Essay Example

CONCEPT OF INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY The term individual liberty refers to the rights and privileges delegated to all the citizens, living in a in respect of thinking, acting and behaving out of their free will as human beings while exercising their will. The term is generally applied in the discipline of political philosophy, which was used by different philosophers and thinkers. The notion reflects the protection and security of human rights, freedom of thought, expression of ideas and action granted to the individuals on the principles of justice, equality, rule of law and impartiality. It also includes the state of indifference towards others’ political, social, economic, cultural, personal and religious activities. International politics, international law, state organisations, social justice, equality, liberty and social movements also come into the fold of liberalism. By critically examining the philosophies of all the great personalities, it becomes evident that all these personalities support individual liberty provided it is observed out of sound reasoning on the one hand, and is exercised with a good intention on the other. Individual liberty has always been the subject of great interest for the philosophers and political thinkers, and they strived for winning freedom of thought and action for all citizens on the foundation of equality and without any discrimination of caste, class, creed, community, race, region, religion, ethnicity and gender. Since thinkers and philosophers serve as the brain of a society, they do not accept inequalities and injustices committed by the rulers and powerful stratum of society on the suppressed masses. Consequently, they rebel against the man-made bonds and shackles and present the intellectual framework which offers a complete and just system to lead a happy and peaceful life. Since the foundations of their philosophy rests on human welfare, they awake the society from the sleep of ignorance and encourage them struggle to win their rights. Before the mighty French Revolution it were philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau and others who awoke the sleeping nation and fought for the noble cause of equality and justice by their wonderful writings. The philosophical theme behind the literature of that time paved the way towards equal distribution of power, pelf, possession and prestige for all strata of French Society. Thus unjust measures enforced by the French laws came to an end. The philosophers belonging to ancient Greece played the most formidable role in respect of obtaining individual liberty for the people at large. Renowned Greek philosopher of the era i.e. Plato provided the world with an outline by defining and elaborating the nature of relationship between individual and state and concept of individual freedom. Plato has extracted the concepts justice and freedom from his great mentor and distinctive philosopher Socrates, whose name is illuminating among the list of greatest intellectuals the world has ever produced. He always preached goodness, morality and truthfulness on the one hand, and taught mathematics, logic, gymnastics and philosophy on the other. His pupil Plato also contributed in spreading knowledge, wisdom and cognition, which can be observed in his remarkable work Republic. Plato gives the idea of an exemplary society, which is embodiment of justice, freedom and goodness, and offers its individuals an unconditional permission to do every sort of activities out of their free will without hurting or harming their fellow humans. He identifies three classes in a society i.e. philosophers, rulers and the masses; all of which should be allowed to work independently for the peace and prosperity of society, and brings happiness to the people, and no one should interfere in the affairs of others, as such interference may bring damages to the very foundations of a society. “And therefore”, Plato submits, “we must consider whether in appointing our guardians we would look to their greatest happiness individually, or whether this principle of happiness does not rather reside in the State as a whole. But the latter be the truth, then the guardians and auxiliaries, and all others equally with them, must be compelled or induced to do their own work in the best way. And thus the whole State will grow up in a noble order, and the several classes will receive the proportion of happiness which nature assigns to them.” (Book IV, 360 B.C., p 7) Hence, Plato’s concept of individual freedom rests in allowing the individuals perform their obligations independently and without any restrictions, though all such activities must be performed within the parameters of justice and morality. Plato’s pupil Aristotle (384 B.C.—322 B.C.) is thought to be the founder and father of various subjects and disciplines. His writings on various subjects signify his philosophical ideas and themes. Like his predecessors, Aristotle is also a torch-bearer of the individual liberty and lays stress upon the free exercise of one’s abilities and talent within the boundaries defined by law and morality. He vehemently looks for the existence of reason and intellect, which may justify the performances made by the individuals, so that it could be come under the fold of just and true individual freedom. Being the stark supporter of Greek polis system, Aristotle considers it the epitome of a superior life-style due to the very reality that it offers the citizens to exercise their superiority through the gifts of speech and reason. Thus, the freedom to express one’s thoughts and speech is an essential element of individual liberty, according to Aristotle. “The citizen, being superior in all ways, must make the most of his excellence and not be hindered by menial chores. In this way, the citizens are not constrained by employment or household tasks, and have the freedom to fully exercise their intellect, to live the good life.” (Aristotle 350 B.C: Book I, Part I, Line 37: quoted in http://www.juiko.net/notes/phil1010essay1.pdf) Aristotle supports the presence of a political authority for the smooth running of all the affairs of a state as well as for the social uplift of the individuals. Another great Italian philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas (1225--1274) has discussed free choice and individual liberty in his wonderful “Summa Theologiae.” Being the true follower of the Christian faith, Aquinas associates human existence, and all human activities and performances with the Creator, and strongly advocates goodness, charity and benevolence to all and sundry without discrimination. Aquinas affiliates goodness to wisdom and intellect, which are observed by exercising one’s activities through free will, with an intention to be kind and charitable towards others. He explains the man’s obligations towards his fellow humans for peace and solidarity of human society. “There should be”, Aquinas observes, “a threefold order in man: --- one in relation to the rule of reason, in so far as all our actions should be consummate with the rule of reason: -- another order is in relation to the rule of the Divine law, whereby man should be directed in all things; and if men by nature were a solitary animal, this twofold order would suffice.—But since man is naturally a civic animal, as is proved in Aristotle’s Politics, hence a third order is necessary, whereby man is directed in relation to other men among whom he has to dwell.” (Aquinas, summa Theologiae: quoted in Porter, 1997; p 212) Moreover, Aquinas does not declare an act good or bad, without examining the intention and determination behind it. It is therefore, he lays stress upon the goodness and the act performed out of good intention. “A power of the soul needs to be moved with regard to the exercise of the act and with regard to the determination or specification of the act. The will moves the other powers of the soul with regard to the exercise, but the known object (or the intellect as that which presents the object) moves the will with regard to the determination of the act. (Summa Theologiae, IaIIae.9.1.c & ad Read More