Are Human Beings Free?

According to an article “Are Human Beings Free” by Charon, freedom is the ability to control one’s life. He points out that true freedom is that individual is active, self-directed, and chooses their own direction. He says "If something or someone controls the actor, then the actor does not control himself or herself. If it is family, society, unconsciousness, emotions, impulse, habit, social, class, culture, neighborhood, government, the world marketplace, heredity, or a myriad of other factors that cause what we do or think, cause us to not adequately understand our situation, or severely limit our choices, then freedom is not real (96)."

Nowadays, we have right to vote and can choose clothes which we want to wear, but it doesn’t mean we are totally free. In other word, we believe that we have freedom of choice, but society forces us to do something in certain ways; have to work to maintain our life, have an education to get a good job, wear and act in certain way in certain place, keep the laws and rules, etc.

This article reminds me of the conception of the freedom. The freedom can be explained as free in thought and in action. From this point of view, I think the way the upper class institutions function to keep those at the top in their place and other out is difficult to change. Charon explains that society influences both the way we think and act. High social positions give people the ability to influence how others think.  Charon states, “The upper class teaches people that what is has it deserves and worked hard for.” (111)  “The poor often become conservative in society, even though they have little to gain from the way society is. Because it is not the poor who control advertising and educational or political institutions, it is not their ideas that are taught in society, so they, like everyone else, become influenced by the ideas of those who do control these avenues off influence.” (111). The upper class are in the best position to create the ideas that others will come to believe.

It means that our thinking and acting are controlled by outside forces such as social value, belief, structure, and social position, so it is difficult to say that there is a real freedom in society.