Generous Freedom
I just picked up a copy of Timothy Snyder’s new book, On Freedom. Snyder, author of the seminal On Tyranny, is one of the great thinkers of our day. His thoughts on freedom seem to bridge the world of conservatives and liberals, bringing us together around our shared aspiration to be free. Snyder really got me thinking about freedom. The definition of freedom that most inspires me is Snyder’s concept of freedom to vs the concept of freedom from. Instead of longing to be free from regulation or control of a government (which leads to a kind of chaotic anarchy) we can aspire to the kind of freedom that allows for creative endeavor, freedom to live in a chosen community, and freedom to serve one another generously. This is, I believe, the freedom implied in our Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I would update that language to include women, but it stands that this declaration does not intend to inhibit the government from creating laws. In fact the grievances listed in the following section of the declaration enumerate many instances of George III’s contempt for laws devised in the colonies, starting with this:
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
Our nation was not founded on the notion of unfettered individualism free of government regulation and law, but on the concept of freedom to enact laws and form a government by, of, and for the people. Freedom from tyranny is good, but insufficient for a nation to rise above chaos. To thrive, the people of the nation need to be free to live with opportunity, free to express themselves creatively, and free to serve one another with generosity.
Posted 23 October 2024 by Mark ·
