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#1
11-01-2007, 02:36 PM
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Re: Where do you want to finish?
[ QUOTE ]
This may seem like a nitpick but I don't think it is. You're all ready free. Money has nothing to do with freedom. Viewing the situation as "money enables freedom" is pitiful. You can do whatever you want all the time. You freely choose to make money because you want to eat, provide for your family, etc. I think what you mean to say is that you want to "finish" (what does that mean?) with a life with no obligations, where everything is all ready taken care of. It seems to me that someone who looks at life as a continual struggle for wealth until they no longer have to worry about accumulating the money to buy the stuff they want is missing out big time in the here and now. [/ QUOTE ] That's cute. What if you want to go see Rome and you have $15 in your bank account? What if you are really hungry and you don't have any money at all? I'm sure someone will give you something to eat, but you're sure not going to be free to choose what you want to eat. You are confusing freedom and happiness. 
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#2
11-01-2007, 02:50 PM
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Re: Where do you want to finish?
[ QUOTE ]
What if you want to go see Rome and you have $15 in your bank account? [/ QUOTE ] You can freely try. Or you can freely choose to make more money and then try. [ QUOTE ] What if you are really hungry and you don't have any money at all? I'm sure someone will give you something to eat, but you're sure not going to be free to choose what you want to eat. [/ QUOTE ] You freely choose whether to eat what someone gives you, you can always go for more, you can try to steal food if you want, etc. --- Obviously there are certain limitations, including circumstance (examples you listed) and ability (ie I cannot fly) but that doesn't mean you aren't free; you are always free to choose your action. This is what freedom is.
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#5
11-01-2007, 03:35 PM
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Re: Where do you want to finish?
You are defining freedom in the same sense that it is possible to say a teller being held at gunpoint is free to not give the bank robber the money. Technically that is true since she still has agency but that is not a definition of freedom that is useful for any discussion.
Consider the food example you used. To be at the mercy of the charity of others or to be required to commit crimes in perpetuity to eat is not freedom.
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#6
11-01-2007, 03:54 PM
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Re: Where do you want to finish?
You have only explained why the definition of freedom I gave is different than yours, not why that definition isn't meaningful or useful. If you accept my definition I think happiness becomes less subject to a detractor, and that is meaningful.
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#7
11-01-2007, 04:04 PM
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Re: Where do you want to finish?
I don't understand how you deal with the fact that certain choices require that you exchange money to have them. If you don't have money those choice are not an option. If some choices are missing then you have limited freedom.
My weekend involves travelling to a different city, staying at a hotel, doing some shopping and going to a few clubs. I could choose to stay at the Park Hyatt but their security would drag me out of the lobby quite quickly. My freedom to choose to stay there is conditional on me paying for the room. Likewise with the vast majority of activities. Lack of resources will limit choices. If choices are limited sufficiently then the person does not have freedom in any meaningful sense.
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