THEOLOGY
Rather than being the absence of restraint, freedom is when we are located in the right conditions to flourish, says Dr Helen Morris, course leader, Moorlands College.
Freedom TO FLOURISH I n passionate political speeches, attentiongrabbing song lyrics and lighthearted Braveheart memes, freedom is celebrated and pursued. But what is the freedom that is sought? We recognise bondage when we see it. The evils of modern-day slavery, the oppression of abusive relationships, and the snare of addictions bear witness to the devastation that occurs when freedom is lacking. As a positive concept, though, the precise nature of freedom we aspire to can be harder to pin down. Freedom is often defined as the absence of restriction. A dictionary will tell you that it is the right to speak, think and act as you like. Curtailing a person’s speech, action or thought does inhibit them, but not always in a bad way. The police officer who wrestles the gunman to the floor to stop them shooting inhibits that person’s ability to use a gun, but we wouldn’t use the word 02 MAY / JUN 2020
Rather than being the absence of restraint, freedom is connected to flourishing.
‘freedom’ to describe the gunman’s intent. It’s an extreme example but my point is that we cannot separate our understanding of freedom from what we consider to be right and wrong. If a good act is prevented, we rightly conclude that freedom has been impinged. If a wrong act is stopped, we speak not of a limit to
freedom but of justice and protection. Seeing freedom as the absence of restraint is not only incoherent outside a moral framework, it is also unworkable. We are all currently living in unprecedented times of constraint on how we can live our lives. Yet the restrictions that have been put in place do not automatically mean we are no longer experiencing real freedom, rather the limits within which we are free have been altered. Take for example, the limitations of our physical bodies. I can only run so far and so fast before the limits of my physical capabilities kick in and I need to take a rest. This doesn’t undermine my freedom, though, because real freedom is freedom within limits. A jazz player is free to improvise within the constraints of the key that they’re playing in and the conventions of jazz. Footballers are free to develop and demonstrate their talents within the perimeters of the pitch and the rules of the game. A fish is free to swim within
