Global Values
A New Paradigm for a New World
by Karin Miller
IV. Freedom
Democratic principles are the foundation of social justice.
Freedom of will lies at the heart of the human experience. through our will, we create our world and unless we exercise our will, we are not free. our ability to think as conscious, volitional individuals empowers us to manifest our will within the world and to make choices that reflect our values. Such freedom of the mind is essential for people to fully participate in society as citizens and collectively as communities, states, and nations.
When we choose to enact our free will—and claim our inherent freedom of consciousness—we have the power to shape the world. By matching our actions to our values, we are free to will our lives into being whatever we wish them to be. It is by virtue of our freedom that we have the opportunity to be master-masons of life, and to create the life we choose. Freedom is the foundation of human creation. Only by exercising our capacity to think and choose, can we further create social and political structures that reflect our value of freedom.
By valuing freedom for ourselves and for others, we take a stand for many individual and collective rights including— freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental aspects of all forms of freedom. With freedom of expression, people are afforded the opportunity to express what they think is right and wrong and to provide alternative ideas. When people are free to express their ideas without fear of retaliation, their creativity can be expressed for the benefit of everyone.
When we recognize that we are all connected as one body of life, valuing freedom means valuing freedom for all rather than just our individual selves. It means respecting that all people have the right to think and express themselves and thereby manifest their individual will. When we choose to use our freedom to embrace values and take actions that benefit and support the greater whole, we facilitate the fullest form of expression of life through individuals and collectively as a society. In doing so, we can reach beyond ourselves to affect the lives of others and gain from their creative contributions to society and the many diverse viewpoints expressed.
Individual freedom
Each day we are presented with many options, and we make many choices. We make choices in our personal life, and we make choices in our public life. Although we are born with free will, it is our freedom—or the extent to which we are free—that mostly determines the type and number of choices available to us. In general, the freer we are, the more choices we have.
Freedom on a personal level is something most of us have and exercise each day without giving it a second thought. We decide to eat this rather than that. We choose to say one thing over another. We choose to turn left instead of right. Relatively speaking, few of us are limited to the extent that we cannot exercise our individual freedom at this level.
Individual freedom within the public sphere, and in relation to others, operates a bit differently. The freedom we are granted in our societies is a function of collective agreements. For an agreement to hold, at least two parties must consent to be governed by it. If consent is not given, the agreement may be amended or perhaps discarded and never manifest. The point is that these agreements are subject to change, depending on the agreements among the members of the society. If a society agrees that its citizens should be free, so it is. People will work to enact rules and legislation that protect those freedoms. If a society agrees that its citizens should not be free, so it is. People will create social structures that restrict the freedoms of certain groups. If a society agrees that one small group shall dictate the destiny of all, so it is. People will abdicate their freedom to a select few, and allow them to rule over the majority. If a society agrees to implement democracy, so it is. People will adopt a constitution that protects the rights of all members of society. In the same way, interpersonal agreements create the context in which, and the rules by which, we act with and toward others in our personal dealings. We learn that we must respect the boundaries— stated or otherwise—we have with others if we wish to maintain harmonious relationships with them. If we choose to act in ways that go against any of our collective agreements we may find ourselves in arguments, personal disputes, legal challenges, or even jail.
In today’s world, many of us do not give much thought to the collective agreements that inform our individual freedom. This means that our consent is often given by default. It may be argued that whole societies do not typically agree to be ruled by a dictator, or to live under the boot of fascism. However, inaction in these situations—when we choose to live within the boundaries that are set by the societal collective agreement—effectively equates to consent.
Freedom requires great responsibility, and many of us are afraid of taking this responsibility. Sometimes we knowingly give away our power to rule ourselves in the hopes that others with more experience will make better decisions for us because we are scared to make our own mistakes. As a result, we can wake up one day only to find ourselves going along with things we do not truly support or believe in or consent to. As long as our situation is not too uncomfortable we stick with our apathy and our consent remains in place, or sometimes we might choose not to withdraw our consent out of fear—fear for our lives, fear of change, fear we do not have the capacity to make good decisions, fear of making mistakes. However, when we dare to claim our power, the responsibility for our future success or failure shifts squarely on to us, and that is a wonderful responsibility to have.
When we claim our power we can no longer blame others for our failures, but we can exercise our free will to make the life we want. Taking responsibility for our power and actions allows us to learn from our mistakes and failures, and to adapt and change to ensure future success. When we claim our power, the future lies in our hands and that is the core of freedom.
In unfree systems, the spark of individual freedom is risky. However, when even one person dares to claim his or her individual freedom as a fundamental power, then that person starts a fire within the whole that shines brighter than any collective malaise. That one person has the potential to awaken others to the possibility of change. By working together with other citizens, new collective agreements can be forged, and new societal freedoms can arise. That is known as revolution.
We are ultimately free to build the lives and societies that we choose. At the most base level, we are free to harm or to help others—we can choose to support our individual lives and societies at the expense of others, or we can choose to support the greater whole of humanity and all societies. We make the best use of our freedom when we choose to exercise our individual freedom for the benefit of all. In doing so, we are aligning ourselves with the creative force of life itself.
Democracy and freedom
Freedom is an open door to all who wish to walk through it. Unfortunately, some people charge through the door and assert their freedom at the expense of others, and some of us will sit back quietly and watch—despite the costs of losing our own freedom in the process. For this reason, when we truly value freedom and social justice, we must also value democracy. Democracy is the political system most conducive to allowing for the protection of the well-being, vitality, and life of humanity and the greater whole. Authentic democracy upholds freedom, equality of rights, and opportunities for all people, and it works to ensure such opportunities are secured for future generations. It is the arm of justice that prevents individuals from using their own personal freedom to control and overpower others. Democratic principles are the foundation of social justice.
The word democracy comes from the Greek dēmokratia, meaning "people power," or the "rule of the people." Democracy is the political system best equipped to protect the freedom of all because it recognizes and accepts that power lies with the people. The power of the people is at the heart of democracy, and democracy functions best with the involvement of all.
Citizens in democracies have the great responsibility of participating in their governments by exercising their voting rights. In the days of the ancient Greeks, during the advent of Athenian democracy in the fifth century B.C., citizens of the Greek city-state (known as a polis) of Athens debated and made decisions over the destiny of the polis at the Greek market, called the Agora. The Agora served as the center of artistic, athletic, and political life and as well as philosophical discourse, a place where one might hear arguments by the likes of Socrates and Plato echoing in the streets. In the Agora, however, only men, who were citizens of the polis, were allowed to participate in these discussions and to vote on legislation and executive bills. Since ancient Greek times, the concept of democracy has evolved to be much more inclusive of all people. Today, women have the right to vote in all Western and most Eastern societies. Further, non-citizens of European Union countries are permitted to vote at local elections in a fellow European Union country where they are permanently living.
Unfortunately, many people often fail to use their voting rights, because they do not believe their vote makes a difference, are apathetic or are just disappointed by the system. When we all take this responsibility to heart—when we all vote and actively engage in other democratic processes—the interests that will benefit the whole come to the fore and are protected. As Aristotle wrote: "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."
A truly democratic system ensures that power lies with all the people, rather than with a select few. It enables all to speak their truths through freedom of expression, while safeguarding that the principles incorporated into our social fabric benefit the majority in the long term, if not the whole. All individuals can make their voices heard, but the majority will determine that which is best for all. In this way, anything that does not support the benefit of the majority will not be included in the collective agreement. Unfortunately, there are many so-called democratic countries where censorship and other means of suppressing freedom of expression exist. States or other groups in power may pass laws to prevent freedom of speech and freedom of the press, making it illegal for people to express criticism of those in power and their policies. Such censorship and suppression of self-expression act to inhibit the basic freedoms of the people.
Democratic principles are the rules and guidelines through which we can secure equality, protections, and social justice for every individual playing this game of life. They allow for diverse interests to be fairly represented while providing fundamental rights, protections, limitations on power, and recourse. Some basic principles include: human rights; control of the abuse of power; equality; political tolerance; bill of rights; economic freedom; citizen participation; accountability; transparency; a multi-party system; regular free and fair elections; and due process of law. These principles level the playing field. They create space for all the players on the team, and they give rules by which all the players must abide. A political system that operates under democratic principles is the way to ensure equality of opportunity and freedom for humanity.
Freedom is our birthright. It is up to us to claim it. Freedom rings through the vibrations of the eternal bell of righteousness that tolls for all who seek justice in this world. It is the glorious sound that resonates with all people. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed in his I Have A Dream speech: "Let freedom ring....From every mountainside, let freedom ring."