Irony of Freedom

Free people are not equal and equal people are not free

Free people are those who have the right to speak, write act and express freely. They have the right to question, to choose, earn livelihood and also spend the way they want. They are free to be an individual in a true sense. It is too good to be true, since it is accompanied by the evil of selfishness. Darwin’s ‘Theory of Evolution’ talks of the bitter phenomenon of ‘survival of the fittest’. On top of the survivor’s list is Man, who has evolved to become the fittest of all creatures, and this process also the most dangerous. If the thought of a wild forest, inhabited by wilder animals is intimidating; then the world of absolutely free men is even worse. In such a place only the most evolved would survive and with the passage of time, weak links would disappear. The state of initial utopia would eventually lead to subservience of the weak to the powerful.

Assessing the free world, we realize that not every one is born with same qualities to be a leader or a pioneer. Several factors determine a person’s success, e.g. his genes, upbringing, education, IQ, finances, status in the society, age and gender. Now, if hypothetically two such people, where one having the best of the qualities listed above and the other with few or none of those, are given absolute freedom; the latter would be easily decimated by the stronger. The situation would be worse if the powerful is also selfish, greedy and immoral. He would then certainly fulfill his desires by either hook or crook. Freedom for him would become a tool to control others. Whereas, the equally free and virtuous, but weak person would again be a victim. Therefore one can say that though freedom gives us chances to express ourselves, it is also responsible for polarizing the society.

Now, considering the world of equal people, we learn that one looses his individuality and freedom. The great advocate of social equality, Karl Marx, triggered a revolution in the feudal world. By annihilating the old system, poor were raised to a better living. Extra comforts and luxuries were cut from rich man’s pocket. The aim was to bring about social and economic equality. It became the theory of ‘Social Human’, characterizing the well being of one, in the well being of all. Ceilings were put on landholdings; heavy taxes were levied on high incomes; the rich were stripped off their privileges and their capital assets were distributed among the public. Hence, equality was restored by force, but all at the cost of freedom.

Ironically, Man who is not a machine strives to be free. Being equal is unnatural for him. He wants to excel and evolve, and for this purpose freedom is must. The inevitable truth is that, in the bliss of freedom lies inequality. And, in the heart of every equal man burns the desire to be free.