THE 13 TYPES OF FREEDOM AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The freedom is the power and the right to act, think or talk about the way you want without restrictions or impediments. It is one of the main values ​​of developed societies, and one of the fundamental human rights. However, it is also a complex issue that generates much debate.

There are many different types of freedom, each of them fundamental to the full development of any person. Even so, the majority of individuals do not really know the different aspects that this concept includes, so that on many occasions problems are generated around it.

Freedom is essential to be able to live a dignified life and pursue happiness, which are two of the rights enshrined in the Constitution of most developed countries. In general, freedom has to do with the performance of the Government of each country, and with the interaction of each individual with the environment that surrounds him.

In this article we will see which are the most important types of freedom, as well as their most relevant characteristics and the way in which they affect our daily lives.

The different types of freedom and their characteristics

1- Freedom of opinion

Source: pixabay.com

One of the most basic types of freedom is one that implies the possibility of having thoughts different from those of the rest without suffering negative consequences. Freedom of opinion recognizes the right to hold ideological positions different from those of other people without suffering repression.

Freedom of opinion is generally very misunderstood. The fact of being able to have our own point of view does not imply that others cannot criticize us for it; And it doesn't mean that the rest have to agree with us.

In reality, having freedom of opinion simply means that the expression of ideas that are not in accordance with those of a predominant majority or a group in power can not be repressed legally or through coercion. Still, we may suffer negative consequences when we express an unpopular opinion.

On the other hand, when expressing our opinion from this right, it is necessary to remember that we must be careful with the other types of freedoms of other individuals.

Thus, if we express our ideas in a violent way or by attacking another person, we could be violating some of their fundamental rights.

2- Freedom of expression

Social networks are a current way to express ideas and beliefs

Freedom of expression is often confused with that of opinion, since both have a series of elements in common that sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between them. However, these are different concepts and need to be studied separately.

Freedom of expression implies the possibility of not only having an opinion different from the "official" or that of the majority, but also being able to express it through words or actions without having to suffer institutionalized negative consequences as a result.

Thus, we could say that freedom of expression implies taking a step beyond that of opinion. In most democratic states, it is guaranteed with elements such as the possibility of publishing works (such as books or films) defending any type of idea, or expressing one's thoughts publicly, such as on television or social networks.

Even so, as with freedom of opinion, freedom of expression is limited by the rest of the freedoms and rights of other people. Thus, in some states the expression of ideas that promote hatred, or that promote violent acts such as terrorism, is punishable by law.

3- Freedom of choice

Another of the most important types of freedom is the one that implies the ability to choose at all times what you want to do and the way you want to act. At the same time, it is also related to the ability to make decisions about any aspect that affects the private or public life of the individual.

However, as with freedom of opinion or expression, having the ability to choose at all times what to do does not imply that there are no negative consequences when making a specific decision. On many occasions, choosing implies accepting the problems derived from one's own choice.

Although freedom of choice can be greatly reduced, for example in totalitarian states, some scholars believe that it is really impossible to eliminate it completely.

Thus, experts on this subject believe that in any situation we always have the possibility to choose the way in which we want to act.

Because of this, the lack of this type of freedom would actually imply the reduction of the available options, as well as the worsening of the results that can be obtained with each one of them.

4- Freedom of demonstration

Freedom of demonstration implies the possibility of protesting against any act, situation or decision that is considered harmful or negative. It occurs when a person can publicly express their displeasure with any element, even if it comes from the highest spheres.

One of the ways of expressing one's own freedom of demonstration is through strikes. In them, workers protest against what they consider to be an unfair or precarious work situation, with the intention of letting their employer know that they do not agree with how things are being carried out.

However, freedom of protest is sometimes abused, in the sense that protesters interfere with the rights of others. This happens, for example, in informational pickets, during which those who want to do so are not allowed to go to their jobs or studies.

The freedom of demonstration, unfortunately, is limited even today in many countries of the world, and not only in those that are considered undemocratic.

5- Freedom of association

Another of the most important types of freedom is that which includes the right of any individual to form groups with people with whom they share certain characteristics or ideologies. This has two aspects: on the one hand, which implies the creation of groups with legal objectives; and on the other, that of unregulated groups.

As for groups with legal objectives, we can find institutions, political parties, associations or organizations that have thought to influence public life in some way.

In this regard we could also mention religious groups, although they are also related to freedom of worship that we will see later.

On the other hand, groups without legal objectives can encompass groups of people such as meetings, online groups such as those that can be found in forums or social networks, and in general all those that bring together people with similar ideas and beliefs but who have no intention to generate a cultural or social impact.

In addition to the possibility of creating groups related to any topic, freedom of association also includes the right to stop being part of a group at the moment in which you want to do so.

Thus, according to this fundamental freedom, no one can be forced to remain within a group if they do not want to be in it.

Again, not every country in the world fully recognizes freedom of association, and there is some debate around this idea. Should hate groups or groups that incite violence be allowed? Each State has to make a decision in this regard and establish the limits it deems appropriate.

6- Freedom of movement

Freedom of movement is possibly one of the most controversial types on this list. It is about the right of any person to move freely throughout any territory, including changing countries, regardless of their place of origin and without discrimination based on differences in gender, religion, race or sexual orientation.

In most countries, it is understood that freedom of movement is only guaranteed as long as a foreigner complies with a series of requirements or regulations established to avoid problems such as illegal immigration. However, the specific conditions established in each territory vary enormously.

Thus, while in some places such as the European Union any member can change country without restrictions and with little difficulty, in other parts of the world it is necessary to meet a long list of requirements to be able to cross borders.

As if this were not enough, generally the conditions required to enter a country depend on aspects such as the person's place of origin, the conditions for obtaining a visa being very different depending on the individual's nationality.

7- Freedom of worship

The Bible, the holy book of Christianity

Freedom of worship has been one with great historical importance. It implies the possibility of choosing the religion that one wants to profess or even the absence of one, without this entailing negative consequences or discrimination on the part of official bodies.

Throughout history, freedom of worship has been practically non-existent in most territories on the planet. In general, each country has had a majority religion, which has been imposed on all citizens of the world regardless of their opinion, their wishes or their true beliefs.

Those people who were observed worshiping religions other than the official one usually suffered very severe consequences, which could range from simple ostracism to the death penalty. This situation has only been overcome in some territories in recent centuries, with freedom of worship being very recent.

At present, most Western countries contemplate freedom of worship and guarantee this right to their citizens, as well as many Eastern ones. However, in some territories this freedom is still not guaranteed, especially in those where certain violent religions are predominant.

8- Educational freedom

Another of the most important types of freedom is that which guarantees the right to choose one's own education or that of one's children. It implies the possibility of choosing what type of ideas and subjects you want to learn, or which ones you want the minors for whom you are responsible to be exposed.

For there to truly be educational freedom, a system must be established that allows different teaching methods and options to coexist.

In Spain, for example, it occurs partially, since parents can choose between public, subsidized and private schools, but that follow the same curriculum.

9- Academic freedom

Often confused with educational freedom, academic freedom has nothing to do with the education received. On the contrary, it is related to the possibility of conducting research on any subject you want, even if it is something controversial or that goes against the interests of the dominant power.

Thus, in democracies and countries that guarantee the rights of their citizens, anyone can decide to carry out an investigation that seeks to demonstrate ideas that are contrary to those held by the Government. In a dictatorship, on the other hand, not only would this not be allowed, but it is often punishable by law.

On the other hand, academic freedom also implies the possibility of sharing the knowledge acquired during an investigation of this type with other people, without any type of censorship or negative consequence by official institutions.

10- positive freedom

It's about the freedom to be able to do something. For example, traveling, playing a sport or watching a movie. Every person has it to a certain degree, since not everyone can do everything.

11- Negative freedom

It is freedom from the interference of other people. For example, an overly authoritarian or overprotective parent is a threat to a teenager's negative freedom.

12- Freedom of manipulation

It is the freedom not to be threatened, manipulated or blackmailed by another person. If one person decides for another, he is threatening his freedom of manipulation.

13- Equanimity

It is a freedom that implies a psychological balance; freedom from fear, doubt or worry.

conclusion

Freedom is one of the most important aspects of anyone's life; and as you can see, it is also one of the most complex. Often times, this value is faced with other equally important ones, such as security.

Because of this, the leaders of each country have to make decisions about the degree of freedom that they allow their citizens. In democratic states, the intention is to maximize the freedom of all inhabitants while guaranteeing the well-being of any individual, avoiding discrimination or aggression.

Today, the debate on freedom is more important than ever, as citizens can express themselves fully for the first time in history thanks to the rise of tools such as the Internet or social networks. However, the fight for freedom has not yet been won, and it requires a great effort on the part of all.

References

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