On July 4, 1776, fifty-six men representing the 13 American colonies gathered in a small room in the Pennsylvania state house in Philadelphia to adopt a declaration declaring independence from the King of England and the British empire.
The declaration outlined 27 accusations regarding King George III’s abuse of power, the signatories laid out the political justification for the rights and the freedoms that we continue to enjoy even today and that have inspired nations and peoples around the world.
Predictably, this document did not land well in London. Even though there were voices in parliament that were sympathetic to the colonist's request for representation, the king of England viewed the Declaration of Independence and the actions of the colonies as treasonous. The British forces already occupied the 13 colonies. But the declaration was the basis for the subsequent, full-scale war that we know as the American war for independence.
In a uniquely American fashion, 11 years later many of the same characters gathered together again in the same hot and stuffy room in Philadelphia to debate, craft and ratify a new constitution of the United States. Built on the principles established in the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution codifies the idea that citizens have inherent rights bestowed upon them by God and that the government exist to protect these rights. It is this culture of freedom that makes the United States unique among nations is the centerpiece of the American ethos.
What is Freedom?
This brings us to the next priority in our list: Freedom. Colloquially, freedom is regarded as the ability to do what I want. The dictionary defines freedom as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint. I heard once that freedom can also represent the ability to do as I ought to do.
The idea of freedom was central in the minds of the American founders. What was declared as political theory in the Declaration of Independence later became the critical infrastructure of the US Constitution and expressed explicitly in the Bill of Rights. The first amendment begins to categorize these freedoms (worship, speech, press, assembly, redress). These expressed rights are not intended to be read as carveouts from coerciveness but specific and explicit examples of the freedoms that are given to us by God and to be protected by the government.
As such, when I think of the freedoms that I value and cherish and the freedoms that I prioritize they fall into these basic categories:
Freedom to worship - The ability to worship God and express the tenants of my faith coercion and reprisal
Freedom of security - the ability to protect myself and my family from the malevolence of others
Freedom of association - the ability to gather together with other people in diverse contexts
Freedom of expression - the ability to express my thoughts, ideas and beliefs without retribution or condemnation.
Freedom of action - the ability to steward and use my time and resources as I see fit without coercion.
Having said all this, we have to be careful that we do not fall into the trap of the tyranny of freedom. A pursuit of freedom unmoored from a higher authority (theology) and ethos (arete) simply replaces one tyranny with another. As we look through each of these categories, we can find examples of tyrannical expressions of these freedoms (terrorism, mobs/riots, hate speech, criminal actions, etc.).
So, even in freedom there is a dichotomy. The freedom I pursue is not just directed toward me. It is not just my freedom to control my time and control my money and control my future and my destiny. True freedom, in submission to God, seeks not only to create an environment for oneself but also a desire to create the same environment for others to enjoy the same degree of freedom. My association, expression, and work is not just about providing resources for me or finding my fulfillment. It is about using my time and my talents in the service of other people and tilling the soil where the seeds of freedom for others can flourish and grow.
Why is Freedom Important?
This brings us to asking the question, why is freedom so important that it rises to a personal priority? And why does it get a position in the middle of the priority stack? The reason is that making freedom a priority allows us to reflect and promote the dignity and worth of the individual human.
We as humans are a unique part of creation - distinct and separate from all other living things. While we exist in time and place, there is a part of our body, mind, spirit’s existence that bears the spark of the divine. Theologians refer this to the Imago Dei – the Latin expression that we are created in the image of God. As bearers of God's image, we have unique worth and dignity.
While this is does not negate the necessity and goodness of living under authority, it does have profound implications for living under compulsion. A command society that does not respect the dignity of its members is not acting in accordance with the higher nature of mankind that results from the Imago Dei.
Second, we as individuals are all unique. We have specific interests, desires, history, context and incentives. Nothing has made this more clear to me than traveling. As a native of the Midwest, I have become accustomed to the friendly, hard-working, live and let live culture common in this region of the country. But as I have traveled to the east coast and then to the southwest, it has become apparent that the culture in these places is vastly different. One tolerates more of a civil structure. The other, influenced by history and geography has a more autonomous, cowboy feel. The same can be said as I see patients in the ED. My context is vastly different than that of my patients. And this will have a profound influence on the choices I make and the desires that I have. Freedom reflects the diversity of all people and respects our unique personalities and circumstances.
Finally, the pursuit of freedom supports all of the other priorities. When I have the freedom to live free of coercion and the freedom to do as I ought to do, I have a clear and open space to be able to live in accordance with my faith. I have the ability to prioritize and build into the various relationships around me. I have the ability to live to my fullest potential. And I have the freedom to be able to do work that serves other people but is also full of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. This is how freedom supports the Arete ethos.
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