Abstract
Freedomisusuallyunderstoodasthecapacityforchoiceortheabsenceofconstraintorcoercionbyothers.Inthepast,freedomwaslinkedtovariousothermanifestationsoflifeandtheworldsuchasthewill(Epictetus),passions(Plato),reason(Descartes),determinism(Spinoza),grace(Christianity),politics(theFrenchRevolutionslogan),ethicsandgoodwill(Kant),historicity(Hegel),ornecessityandwork(Marx). AccordingtotheWebster'sdictionary,freedomistheabsenceofnecessity,coercionorconstraint.Thisdefinitionmakessenseinthecontextofouter-socialandpolitical-freedom.Inthissense,anindividual'sfreedomisthedefaultstatethatlastsuntilitisdisruptedbysomeoneelse.Anotherviewisthatfreedomisthepossibilitytochoosebetweenvariousoptions.Itmaybecharacterizedasthespaceofthepossible,anopportunitytoactornottoactaccordingtoone'sownjudgmentanddecision.Choicesmaybemoreorlessfree.Alookintothepast,atachoicealreadymade,oftenshowsthatevenfreechoiceisusuallydeterminedbycertainmotives,stimulioropportunities.
Individualdecision-makingandactionsarelimitednotonlybyexternalconditionsbutalsobyrespectforthefreedomofothers.Andthisiswhere,besidesfreedom,aroleisalsoplayedbyjusticeandresponsibility,withfreechoicesofseveralpeopleintersectinthesamespace.Undesirable"arbitrariness"ismainlylimitedbyathreatofpunishment