The Philosophy of Freedom Study
Article 101
History
The Philosophy of Freedom begins with the question:
(1-0) “Is a human being in their thinking and acting, a spiritually free being, or are they compelled by the necessity of natural lawfulness?”
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the wisest figures of history have sought deeper truth into the mystery of the human being. The question of free will has been one of the great debates concerning the human being for over two millennia with just about every major philosopher having something to say about it. Earlier in history it was generally assumed that everything about someone was ultimately determined by unchangeable fate which could be foretold by astrology or other forms of divination. This was opposed by the foundational idea of Christianity and other religions that we possess some level of free will in order to make a choice between doing good or not.
In the mid-1600s philosophers asserted that our minds operate according to definite mechanisms and therefore cannot express free will. Then it was claimed at least parts of our minds are free. With the increasing success of science in the 1800s it came to be widely believed that there must be definite natural laws for all human actions - providing a foundation for the development of psychology and the social sciences. Notions of free will are considered naïve.
Scientists have found it increasingly difficult to locate a place within a human being from which freedom could originate. In the first half of the 20th century cognitive science, the study of mind, began to avoid the study of abstract mental things like “thoughts” and “ideas” and focus on measurable stimuli and responses. Brain imaging has come into use linking behavior with brain function. Today’s discoveries in human genetics indicate behavioral tendencies and personality traits are inherited.
Being Free Seems Like Our Natural State
While scientific evidence continues to build a strong case against free will even the scientists themselves go about every day life with an assumption of some kind of freedom. In our normal existence it seems quite natural to say we are completely free to think out what we want to do and then free, at least some of the time, to do it. We don’t normally question this traditional belief but take it for granted. It is implied in many of the things we say, many of the attitudes we take, and many of the things we do. For example, this evening you may have a choice of activity. Catch up with some house work, plan an upcoming birthday party, or just have some fun by going out with a friend to see a movie. You decide to go to a movie. You assume this to be a choice freely made. You could have chosen differently, right? If your friend assures you a 7PM pickup and they arrive at 8PM you may become upset and hold them responsible for being late. This is based on your belief that your friend has free will and control of their actions. They could be on time if they wanted to.
The common view is “yes, human beings have free will”. My pinky wiggles as a consequence of my intention to wiggle it. I will myself to do something and I do it. This theory is very simple and seems perfectly reasonable. It assumes we have control over our thoughts, actions, and destiny.
No one doubts that we use our will to do this or that. The question is whether the will is free or not. Most of us can point to moments when our willing was not free. Perhaps we reacted with some harsh words which we later regretted or find life dictated by duty rather than the creative expression of love. Opponents of free will point to factors that hinder the possibility of freedom or remove it all together such as physical/causal, biological, psychological, or theological influences. These factors may lie hidden and deny our freedom without us even being aware of it.
The superficial thought of today avoids the complexities inherent in those two short words, “free will”. Others are convinced that if we probe far enough into the heart of our being there dwells something noble, something worthy of development. For them the importance of this question is something that can be deeply felt.
”And one may well feel that if the soul has not at some time found itself faced in utmost seriousness by the problem of free will or necessity it will not have reached its full stature.” Rudolf Steiner, in the Preface to The Philosophy of Freedom
Scientific Determinism Views Human Action As Compelled
Freedom requires an inner conquest of those things outside ourself that would determine us. Chapter one of The Philosophy of Freedom describes many common meanings of being free and asks us to question these concepts of freedom through introspective observation. Is it freedom or does a hidden element compel our action? Can we become conscious of these hidden factors that may be determining our activity? By gaining knowledge of them do they loose their hold over us?
In the study of the human being this hidden element may be called a determinant. A determinant is something that restricts freedom by being the cause that determines the outcome. Heat is a significant determinant in forcing water to boil. One who views all things, including human actions, as resulting solely and exclusively from outside factors or determinants is known as a "Determinist." A Determinist views human activity as compelled by unique and complex determinants such as genes, upbringing, culture, current situation, unconscious activity, past experience etc. Their understanding of the human being is that each of our thoughts, feelings, and decisions are compelled by the necessity of determinants. Any feeling of freedom is an illusion; the result of being unconscious of the myriad of determinants.
At a younger age determinants play a significant role in our development. The nature versus nurture debate is over which determinants have more influence in our upbringing. The automatic behavior (following natural urges and instincts) and learned obedient behavior (conforming to established standards) are necessary stages of growth, but at some point they must be overcome by the free spirit. We are the only ones who can add the finishing touches toward our development as a free human being.
Spiritual Activity Arises From The Individual Spirit
The position taken on the question of freedom may depend on what one means by the word “free”. More than 200 meanings of the word have been distinguished by those who have worked with the question of freedom. Rudolf Steiner preferred the term “spiritual activity”. He wrote The Philosophy of Freedom in German and entitled it Die Philosophie der Freiheit. Steiner was not satisfied with the English word freedom as an adequate translation of the meaning conveyed by the German word Freiheit. He views freedom as the creative expression of spiritual activity that arises from the individual spirit. In a lecture he gave at Oxford in 1922, he said,
“Therefore today we need above all a view of the world based on Freiheit — one can use this word in German, but here in England one must put it differently because the word ‘freedom’ has a different meaning — one must say a view of the world based on spiritual activity, on action, on thinking and feeling that arise from the individual human spirit.” Rudolf Steiner, Wilson introduction to POF
Steiner recommended the term “spiritual activity” be used rather than freedom in English translations as he thought it more closely pointed to what he meant. This is why the book can also be found under the title The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity. English translators Hermann Poppelbaum, William Lindeman, and Rita Stebbing used this title. The popular Michael Wilson translation is entitled The Philosophy of Freedom as he thought the meaning of spiritual activity would be wrongly understood by the prospective reader.
The modern translator Michael Lipson recognized that the book represents a unique focus from among all the other spiritual movements of our time. That focus is the further development of today’s ordinary thinking to a more conscious level of pure spiritual activity –intuitive thinking-. The thinking is freed from physical and environmental influence through the practice of the more active thinking required for the reading of the book. This inspired the contemporary sounding Lipson translation is be entitled Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path.
The intensification of thinking produced by the study of The Philosophy of Freedom and the somewhat mysterious sequential order of thoughts in the book leads the reader to a place where our intuitions school us anew each time we read a section of the text. Being immersed within the thoughts, struggling to clearly comprehend what is written, our thinking is activated to where our own intuition becomes our tutor. A power flows through the activity of thinking itself. In this sense our intuitive thinking becomes our individual spiritual path. The saying “Each one of us must choose his hero in whose footsteps he toils up to Olympus” no longer holds for us.
Shocked Out of Complacency
The issue of what to title the book came about because of a concern that many people have a misunderstanding as to what freedom is. If freedom just means being able to decide and do, our first impression is that we already have that capability. But without a deeper introspective look we cannot be sure if the “decider” is really us or one of the many determinants. If it is you then your activity is spiritual activity, action, thinking and feeling that arise from your individual human spirit. You act creatively, out of love for the deed. This is not an inherited natural state but one that can be developed. In the Wilson translation of The philosophy of Freedom it says that Steiner,
“expressed the view that English people believed that they already possessed freedom, and that they needed to be shocked out of their complacency and made to realize that the freedom he meant had to be attained by hard work.”
Is it possible to attain to spiritual activity if we do not know what it is? Is it possible to possess a view of the world based upon spiritual activity if we do not know whether we participate in it or not? Yet the greatest threat, especially in America, could be a satisfaction with ourselves, a sense that we already have a good life in the land of the free. Goethe wisely warns us:
“None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.”
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The question of freedom (article 101)
I’m new to this site and not familiar with Rudolf Steiner's work. However I hope to learn more as I go on about the philosophy of the man. I also have an interest in trying to define freedom, I wrote an article titled The evolution and refinement of freedom. I hope eventually as I learn more about this site to submit it here. I found this article very interesting.
I have this quote from
I have this quote from Goethe on my fridge:
“None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.”
Right under it I have a quote from Byron Katie:
"The worst thing that can happen on your death bed is a belief."
In this country almost all grownups believe they are free. In and of itself this is harmless. In my opinion the "problem" comes from what we attach our freedom to.
"I know I'm free because I can say what I want!"
"I'm free to watch this show or read this book."
"Nobody can stop me from going after my dream."
"I'm successful because of the free decisions I've made."
and on and on and on...
Even people who are completely immersed in a materialistic, mechanistic science that denies any chance of free will, even these people are convinced they are free whenever they aren't thinking about science. They get mad at people for cutting them off on the road. They get upset at politicians who make moral "mistakes". It is incredible that they believe we are machines just following our hidden programs, but they still live a life of blame and self-congradulations. When they put on their science hats they know that freedom is adream, but they live the other 99% of their lives convinced of one thing: I am free.
And then there are people who base their freedom in "spiritual" mental pictures. They know they are free because they "feel" free or because they can logically prove that unfreedom is impossible. They know they are free because otherwise there would be no point in fighting for a better world. They believe we should be free and the reason we are not free is due to some type of evil. this evil could be the bible from the devil or other types of spirits that they read about from clairvoyants. These type of "freedom-fighter" have a fairly clear sense of who is to blame. They mostly go back and forth between blaming themselves for not having strong enought wills, blaming spirits of unfreedom, or blaming other people/institutions for working against the call of freedom. But they know one thing for sure: I am free.
Some kids know they are free because nobody can tell them what to do. They can think their freedom in strong essays (you can read them on the internet). They can feel their freedom in their hearts. They know exactly who to blame. They know for certain: I am free.
Our politicans know that we are a free country. But they are even happier to tell you about the nature of individuality: I am free.
We associate our freedom with our identifications. Our identifications are our conditionings. Our conditioning is the Ego. The Ego knows one thing for sure, above all else: I am free. It feels it stongly. It can think it clearly. And it proves it with its will each day. It knows that blame is necessary anywhere that freedom isn't.
Is your will strong enough to be free? Is your thinking sharp enough to be free? Are you making yourself more and more free each day? Are you too lazy to be free? Are you too tied to your sympathies? Do you blame yourself enough? Do you blame the right spirits and political leader? Do you blame your parents just the right amount? When you blame your weak will can you also, at the same time, blame a spiritual event from the past that your were told about?
Do you ever ask yourself,
"Where did it all go wrong?"
Do you ever find yourself thinking that if the "good" spirit's plan had not be thrwarted, things would be better now? Do you think things were suppose to be different? Do you think that there is a plan for how things should be that rests on human's becoming free? Do you think that if humans fail to be freer there will be spirits who feel sad and frustrated that they have to build a new universe to see if humans will have stronger wills there?
Goethe said,
“None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.”
I wonder what a world would look like in which nobody believed they were free and nobody believed they were unfree. They woke up in the direct apprehension of the gratitude they feel for this moment's never ending gift of existence. They help each other, but not because they are suppose to or because they believe they are free. They help each other because there are simply no beliefs in their mind that would block the powerful impulse to be of service. They don't believe they created this impulse. They just notice it and laugh when strange thoughts come into their mind that pretend there is something better to do than follow the impulse. They don't understand everything, but they love learning. They make mistakes all the time, but they don't believe in blame. They are drawn to understand what they can understand, to sing what they can sing and to cherish everything that is given them.
Some of them are thinkers, but not the type of thinkers who believe their temporary thoughts are responsible for this joy. In fact, they think in response to this joy and attempt to let the joy sing itself in each thought. When people from other planets approach them with,
"Do you believe you are free"
These folks don't really know what to say. Sometimes they say yes, but then the aliens ask how to become free. The alients ask for mental techniques to get more and more free. These folks are drawn to help the aliens, but they find it funny that they aliens can't see their own freedom. It's right there in between their stressful, searching thougths.
Sometimes they say "no, we don't believe we are free" but then the aliens fly away looking for people who believe they are free.
They miss the aliens, but are excited that the aliens might somebody find what they are looking for.
Personally, I find myself inbetween all these types of characterizations. Presently, I am increasingly noticing that beliefs seem to be entirely unnecessary in relation to experience. More than that, it seems to be beliefs that do all the blocking.
I like the article you posted, Tom. Especially the questions with which you end it. The question of Freedom and Knowing is the essence of PoF. What I love is how PoF shows that these questions are interdependent: knowing your freedom IS doing your freedom. It's not chicken or the egg; it's just the fact of each as the other.
Jeff
I'm not sure I understand
I'm not sure I understand what is intended by the phrase, spiritually free being. Is it intended to define free will? I was reading about Edgar Cayce once and from that reading I was to understand that free will was different from spirit, in that it can think, say, or do what it will. That the Spirit would only be contrary to God's will if God intended it to do so. I suspect that our ' Free Will ' defines what our problems come from. Free Will does what it will. It can so habitually tend toward following desirous aims, or emotional impulses, that it developes crystallized patterns of behavior that ironically interfere with Free Will when it tries to strive toward any long term aims. That is an interesting thought, "Free Will conflicting with Free Will in one individual."
We do have Free Will, and we use it to create our own prison. Through our Free Will we put ourselves on destructive paths. It reminds me of a description of Mephistopheles, of being a powerful spirit second only to Satan. Who would laugh at human suffering, from his own seperation from God and the despair, he only had sardonic dirision for humanity and what he deemed their petty aspirations. He would engage himself in some evil design intended for humanity and somehow they would always rise above it. "He was always the biter being bitten." Often an individual does the same to himself, through the causes of his Free Will the individual finds himself in the midst of consequences and ultimately finds deep within himself the solution.
Maybe that is where our Free Will resides for most of us. It is deep within ourselves underneath all of our retinue of behaviors we develope, operating as if on auto-pilot. I wonder what might happen to our Free Will while we go on operating under auto-pilot? Does it atrophe, does it become something defenseless against whatever malevolent entity trying to influence it? Maybe it is while being on auto-pilot that we get ourselves into predicaments, and it is our Free Will that ultimately saves us.
"Maybe it is while being on
"Maybe it is while being on auto-pilot that we get ourselves into predicaments, and it is our Free Will that ultimately saves us."
I love this line in your post olokio.
Auto pilot and Free Will
Tom and olokio,
I love that line too. While i was reading it my 11 year old daughter, out of the blue, called to me from another room and asked, What is Free will?
I shouted back to her, "Good Question, Why do you ask?" As I made my way into the room i saw that she was playing a Sim Game on my laptop. She said, "Well I need to know whether to turn it off or on for The family in my Sim game"
Needless to say I cracked right up and howled in laughter as I had just finished reading the line regarding auto-pilot and here was my child wondering whether Free Will should be turned on or off.
Cisco
Thanks Tom. Cisco, that
Thanks Tom. Cisco, that is one whopper of a synchronicity. I think that is the proper word for describing what happened. Oh, I know, coincidence is the word. I've been a student of Theosophy for some time now and I'm wondering if Anthrosophy supplements it. I want to see what both has to say on the subject of reincarnation for comparison. So it is going to be G. De Purucker and Rudolph Steiner. I won't be able to say anything for quite a while. It is a lot of study.
In Tom's post the mention is made of intuition. That little voice inside us that says this is true, that is false. Intuition is very important, and when it is supplemented with information, knowledge, we can acquire understanding, even Wisdom. I hope no one mistakes me for someone who holds very much of those four attributes. I don't even know what a sim game is.
Olokio I would say synchronicity
Thanks for the reply. I would go with synchronicity, myself. A Sim Game is a virtual simulated world of things, people, cars, buildings etc. where you build a city, community and such on the computer. It is quite a little world. When i attempted to answer the question What is Free Will? my daughter said, "Gee I don't know if I want all the characters just being able to do what they want." Now that was a beautfiul place to begin to have a great converstion with an 11 year old. I told her that on this website where I read and write that I sometimes had the exact same feeling.. LoL...We had a lot of fun. Thank you for being part of that joy.
I have a lot of synchronicity in my life and am making quite a study of it. I am positive it is spiritual beings pointing things out and it is a bit of a test to see if we are listening and watching... Tom's post brought your post to my attention and then an event in the real world brought the spirit in your writing into the world.. I just love it. You said it and the echo was heard all the way to Vancouver BC Canada. The real beauty for me was that my daughter asked me the question that took me many, many years to ask and I was very elated that I could not only share the synchronicity with her but with you and Tom and anyone else that was reading here. this site is helpfull when one needs adequate words to communicate an answer to questions such as the one my daughter asked because there are some very eloquent thinkers and writers here and their ideas and phrasing oftern jump off the page. In music performance it is always about the phrasing.
So nice to hear from you. I look forward to future exchanges. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Best Wishes,
Cisco
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