Dialectics: Freedom and Authority

Freedom and authority pose a very interesting dialectic. The definition of freedom itself has a dialectic nature. For example, in our post 9/11 world the United States government can tap your phone lines, intercept your emails, read your text messages, and access your web history. Many people say this is a violation of our personal freedoms, but the government claims these are measures to protect American freedom. Therefore, we must give up freedom to attain it.

In my previous example as in countless others, authority will sometimes limit your freedom in order to save it all together. Take the Romans for another example. They had written into their legislation that in a time of crisis, the elected leader could impose a military dictatorship to protect the empire. Although human nature made this policy imperfect and resulted in Caesars, the basic principal was the same. It was a sacrifice of freedom, for freedom.

Some philosophers argue though that freedom doesn't exist without authority. Philosophers such as Hegel and Holbach argue that we have no free will. Without free will there exists no freedom. You may feel free in your small portion of existence, but in the grand scheme of things you are not free. You answer to some greater authority at all times. This idea is also very post-modern. In post-modern theory, you exist as part of "the system" with no free will, much like the movie the matrix. You're only freedom is to find your niche in life, but you are never one hundred percent free. Authority determines your freedom at all times.

I then thought to apply this dialect relationship to my own experiences, and determined that high school is a perfect example of this struggle between freedom and authority. For instance, I cannot yell at my teachers when they annoy me, for then I would get a detention, clever restriction of freedom in which I am forced to sit in a classroom before or after school hours. I can also not leave whenever I want because I would get privileges taken away from me and not be able to have free period or open lunch. I also can't use my phone during class, because it would be taken away from me, and for added fun and enjoyment, I would probably receive several detentions. School is another authority that grants and relinquishes freedoms in an attempt to force obidience. Freedom has become the ultimate leverage for authorities of all kind.