Philosophers' Conceptions of Human Freedom

Paper Summary:

This paper stresses that philosophers have long pursued a deeper understanding of the nature of human freedom. The paper describes the beliefs of Jean Jacques Rousseau, which purport that human freedom is achieved through the rejection of the modern and the material in an effort to reach a more primitive and natural human state. The paper then relates that John Stuart Mill accepts modern society but dictates that it must be structured to facilitate happiness in the greatest number of society's individuals, thus arguing that human freedom is achieved through personal-political freedoms. The paper then suggests that both of these philosophies are too unrealistic, allowing for little or no clear path toward freedom. The paper concludes that a more realistic Karl Marx provides the idea that society can only move toward freedom after understanding the material conditions of society.

From the Paper:

"Marx would say that this definition of freedom is too abstract. By Marx's terms, Mill's definition is not really freedom because it does not take into consideration the many factors of politics, society, and history. For example, a man in Mill's ideal society cannot achieve freedom simply through the pursuit of happiness and the lessening of pain. The man must still work, whether or not he is encouraged to choose the type of work. In a capitalist society, a larger body or industry will inevitably control his work."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chakraborty, Satinath. "On the Problem of a Theory of Knowledge in Marx." Social Scientist 20.2 (1982): 40-55.
• Delue, Steven M. Political Thinking, Political Theory and Civil Society, 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2001.
• Marx, Karl. Selected Writings. Lawrence H. Simon, Ed. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994.
• "Marxist Origins of Communism, I." n.d. 3 Jun. 2007 <http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/marx1.htm>.
• "The Quest for the Good Political Life." CQ Press: The Challenge of Politics. 3 Jun. 2007 <http://www.cqpress.com/cs/challenge/chap6/study.asp>.

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