A free society is a society where humans are not “born into” a place or position but are free to do as they wish. Liberty however requires limits in order for a society to truly be free. A government system is vital; a government system powers are limited and have separation of powers that creates order and assists the people. There must be restraints and the only one that truly makes individuals free is self restraint. Once the peoples safety and liberty is secured, the most essential requirement of a free society is the individual's values and shared moral values of right and wrong.
In a free society there are several features that make it free. Freedom from necessity, a market economy, people give the power to the government, Truth is for the individual, the separation of faith and politics and the restrictive powers of the government are all important elements in a free society. In the past, this delicate balance of proportions rarely occurred. In a primitive world, freedom was hard to come by because most individuals faced obstacles of material necessity. Freedom cannot be an option merely because humans could only think of survival. As societies slowly grew, trade and business began. A market economy was the best liberation from essential slavery or the bondage of necessity because humans had the time and energy to pursue what they wanted to and had surplus that enabled them to choose what they deemed admirable. Once an ongoing market economy can be established that is competitive as Locke suggested, freedom now is not only for the powerful but for the weak and poor. But this freedom has to be protected by government. Government is a requirement of a free society. Alexander Hamilton stated “ that if mankind were to resolve to agree in no institution of government, until every part of it had been adjusted to the most exact standard of perfection, society would soon become a general scene of anarchy, and the world a desert.” ( The Federalist Papers No. 65)
Many as seen in history pursued power over others and used their power for their own ambitions. Oligarchy and Anarchy were the main systems of tyranny. These powers were used all throughout history. The main ideology was that God gave the power to the king or ruler and then he reigned over the people. This line from God to King to People is totally reversed in a free society. God gives the power to the people, who give the power to the government. Through history, ideals have evolved. In Premodern Christianity, Christ taught his followers to think for themselves as individuals, stressed the importance of the separation of faith and politics and that truth can be found by the people and not just the leaders and the powerful. (pg 17 Danford) Which is a focal point that is highly stressed today in America which is the best example of a free society. In the United States of America, the constitution created by our founding fathers instituted essential restrictions that make us more free. They believed the government they were creating had only one role which was to secure each individual's rights: rights which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. James Madison said “ambition must be made to counteract ambition” (Muir pg.55) These founding fathers understood that human nature is both good and bad, and that you must protect the good and restrict the bad. The members of the society must have security, safety and a free marketplace to flourish. In order to maintain a fair society, there must be a balance of power in the government system. “A balance is more than just an identity of force, but is an effective balance is protecting relationships from deteriorating” (Muir p.36) This doesn't mean that you can always use peace to have balance, you need a strong government system that is not afraid to act if necessary. Although Gandhi used peace to obtain freedom, freedom in most circumstances must be fought for in order to be kept and established. A balance of powers in the United States government has split power into three branches; the Legislative, Judicial and Exeutive.
These branches cannot be more domniant than the other, creating a system that is fair. It allows an openness for debate in regards of freedom of speech and there is not one force that can over rule the other, it has to be a majority vote and allows debate to take place as well as educating the general public to prepare for undertaking a new law (Muir pg 56) The resulting policies are always smart, with little flaws because it gets read through various committees, leaders and to the legislative branch several times before going to the president’s desk to sign.
There is one however one paramount ideal that I have breifly mentioned that is the key to having a free society, which is the moral responsibility of the individual. In The Roots of Freedom, Danford suggests the principles of each individual life is of value, that by nature man is political by nature and his duty to his community is to aim for excellence or virtue. (pg 182) and without this, societies cannot flourish and individual freedom cannot be pursued. The moral duty of the citizens is an underlying ideal that is not grasped well enough in our society today. A free society motivates the individuals to improve themselves which makes it function properly.
The reason that free societies flourish is based on the acknowledgment that the individual needs to have purpose. The individual needs to have motives, dreams and aspirations that make that individual their better self. Along with education and creativity, individuals need a teleology perspective of fulfillment in a free society. Individuals in this society use self restraint in order to keep their freedoms. And that is what America has been known for. We chose to be the hardest working, religious, diverse and creative country because of our individualism and endeavour to become the best individuals we can be. That is why America is a free society and has lasted and been the most influential country for the 200 years since it was created.
However our society is experiencing a moral decay, with popular media becoming more brutal and violent, ruining our perceptions and understanding of purpose with a more increased belief of atheism.(Danford pg.175) A decline in individual responsibility and decline in religious belief is shifting our country into a society that is becoming less free and educated. We are revising our
vision of meaning into a materialistic intellect rather than a soul seeking intellect. We are degrading our freedom only if we continue to be more secular.
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