By

Ilona Harden
PHIL 1120 http://ihardenslcc.weebly.com/philosophy
Alexander Izrailevsky

Freedom, as
a Social
Construct.

ABSTRACT

The Land of Liberty, a term commonly used to describe America since its
conception in 1776. It all started with the Declaration of Independence after the
English decided to colonize the New World. At its roots, liberty is the act of
freedom. So what exactly is freedom? In a world with obvious physical limits,
what does freedom look like? And more importantly, how is this idea of freedom
used in modern society? This idea of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.,
has had a profound impact on the world as we know it. With all due respect to
those before me, Im going to personally dissect this concept of freedom. From my
limited perspective I hope to give a fundamental understanding of what freedom is
and how it is used in our ever-changing society.

FREEDOM, AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT

Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without
hindrance or restraint. Now, who does this concern? Obviously Im referring to man, for
freedom is a human concept. So how does this concept relate to man? Through societal
constructs. To give a clear description, society is defined, the aggregate of people living
together in a more or less ordered community. While construct means an idea or theory
containing various conceptual elements. Put it all together and what were really looking at is
how this idea of the right to act, speak or think without hindrance has molded the order of the
aggregate of people living together, specifically in The United States of America.

What role does freedom play in modern society? It is most apparent in the restriction of
freedom via the judicial system. If one commits a crime they are stripped of certain freedoms,
either temporarily or permanently depending on the severity of the crime they committed. Due to
this fact, many people are contentious of what they are doing and how their words/actions pertain
to the law. In this way, society tries to eliminate any unwanted behavior. Therefore, freedom in
an idea granted to those who display personal and social responsibility.

Freedom is often expressed by ones freedom of choice. Now this hardly means you are
free to choose through an unlimited array of options. On the contrary, one is usually free to
choose between very limited options. This gives the illusion of true freedom but satisfies the
choosers sense of freedom. For example, a mother gives her child the freedom to choose their

afternoon snack. Now the mother wants her children to remain healthy, so she gives them a few
options: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or celery and carrots with ranch dip. One day, her
child really wants cookies. Though this child is free to choose her afternoon snack, s/he will not
have the absolute freedom to eat cookies whenever s/he pleases. Regardless of how much she
pleads, bargains and begs, s/he will not be granted to the liberty to eat cookies for an after school
snack. An individual citizen is the child, while society as a whole is the mother aka authority
figure. The cookie being all of our behaviors that are considered bad or taboo within our culture.
We do not have the freedom to do whatever we please. If we adhere to the rules though, we may
experience some freedom of choice. Like the mother who trains her child, society modifies our
individual behavior through the restriction or promise of freedom.

So what really is freedom? A fine young man, a structuralist, once explained to me how it
is a false idea. I took his explanation a bit further. First, one must accept that absolute freedom is
an illusion and a by-product of our impressive cognitive abilities as man. Yet, this idea that was
created has had a great impact on our human condition and by extension the condition of the
world. Manifest Destiny is a perfect example of this. If Americans didnt have a concept of
freedom, Manifest Destiny would have never came about. Without this idea that it was our
right to expand civilized America, we would see a vastly different landscape then we do now.
Freedom is a self-imposed concept that is earned through the validation of others. The essence of
freedom is an unspoken, and for the most part unconscious, social contract. Where we once
oppressed others, we still oppress one another under the veil of freedom. For example, I always
say If you dont like Utah, move. The most common response I receive is I cant. Why?
Theyre free to move about this country as they please. What they cant do is move about the

country comfortably. They need to eat and they need shelter, both of which arent a part of their
inherent liberties as Americans. Even the wealthy, so-called 1% are restricted and heavily
surveilled. They have more money but that only strengthens their illusion of freedom, which is
why the higher classes are generally seen as good, productive citizens. And is also why many
less fortunate citizens covet their freedom to do as they please due to the fact that they have a
means to get what they want out of life money.

Cultural ethics are a prime example of how our behavior can get modified by the culture
we live in. Certain hand gestures mean different things across the globe, along with other social
norms. Others affirm or disapprove of our behavior, choice of clothing, etc. and we tend to act
accordingly i.e. change what was disproved or enhance what was approved. Everyone has some
biological urge to conform to their environment, social or otherwise. It is a survival mechanism
we developed through evolution to be more adaptable to our environment. Like chameleons we
try to match our environment for the same reasons a chameleon does, a sense of security.
Freedom, within itself, I think is a result of our higher thinking abilities. I think this because it
has not been discovered among any other form of life and isnt an inherent value in nature the
whales migrate where is most reasonable for their survival. These whales continue the same path,
year after year, as nature demands of them for survival. I propose that freedom is an inherent
result of our biological evolution. I think this idea is a tool we use to strengthen our social
support systems. We do this by affirming or rejecting desirable or undesirable behaviors. In
extreme cases of disapproval, we strip others of their inherent liberties as American citizens.
Though the culture may change, this system of modification does not.

CONCLUSION
Freedom, as a social contract is a highly dynamic and useful idea. With it, we ensure
order within our communities. It also enhances our social interactions by allowing an unspoken
scrutiny between one another. That being said, it can have over-bearing consequences if not kept
in moderation. Though absolute freedom is impossible, limited freedom still holds a fundamental
place maintaining order within our society. Freedom is an idea that inspires, motivates and gives
hope. A powerful concept that has forever changed our modern world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Social Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Social Welfare, Social Issues, and the
Profession Second Edition
Morley D. Glicken
2011

Arizona State University, Phoenix, USA

SAGE Publications,
Inc

Preserving American Freedom: The Evolution of American Liberties in Fifty Documents.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Accessed [date]. http://digitalhistory.hsp.org/preservingamerican-freedom.

Nicolas James Lee, personal communication, spring of 2013

Manifest Destiny, History.com Staff via History.com, 2010 A+E Networks

URL http://www.history.com/topics/manifest-destiny