Consciousness and individual freedom

Self-Consciousness and Freedom

1. The Presumption of Open Alternatives As practical beings, we act with a sense of freedom, or, to use Kant’s memorable phrase, “unter der Idee der Freiheit.” This attitude is present whenever we are deciding what to do, and it is most clearly revealed when we reflect on what we take for granted while deliberating. Consider a young man, Imad, who lives under an oppressive military occupation a...

World Poverty and Individual Freedom

Most people know that the extent of world poverty is staggering. Many do not believe that we are obligated to do anything about it. Often those who resist the idea that we are obligated to help the global poor are concerned about the freedom of individuals to live their lives. They believe that no one should be required to sacrifi ce her freedom for another person. This paper argues that it is ...

Consciousness and Freedom According to the Siva S Utras

The logic of materialist science fails when observers are considered. How can inanimate matter, governed by xed laws, lead to mind? To bring in consciousness as a separate category like space, time, and matter, as suggested by many physicists and neuroscientists, leads to further paradox. This very issue was considered with great subtlety in the Vedic tradition of India. Here we consider one of...

Individual Rights and Contract: (Freedom and Reciprocity in Contract Law)

Public Security and Individual Freedom: The Dilemma of Northern Ireland