What is freedom? Is it freedom of the mind? Is it physical freedom? Or freedom of speech? Well, freedom is an innate, natural right that humans have at birth. In spite of there being numerous types and meanings to different people, it cannot be specifically defined with one meaning or interpretation. There are said to be several connotations and underlying interpretations of the word freedom; however, if I were to find one commonality or recurring aspect amongst all these various definitions, it would be that freedom is having the ability to choose, whether it be choosing what to do, what to believe, where to go, or what to say. It is not a palpable object that can be seen or touched. Although the definition and use of the word freedom are typically misconstrued, I will make an attempt to elucidate its true meeting. 

Many people have various opinions and outlooks on what freedom means to them. There is no single, specific definition of freedom due to the fact that it depends on someone’s situation or circumstances. Some believe freedom pertains to religious beliefs or views. For instance, the Puritans migrated to New England in Colonial America so they could flee the religious persecution they encountered in Europe. They then had the privilege to freely practice the form of Christianity they were previously oppressed from. Others believe freedom is the ability to choose to do certain things in life however they wish without any third party or person hindering them from doing so. There is also freedom of speech which is the ability to express one’s opinion or dissent. Freedom is something that is vital to have because it empowers people to have individuality and desires that they can fulfill. However, there is a lot more to freedom than the interpretations I have just mentioned.

What is the opposite of freedom? Is it being dependent? Is it slavery? Some may argue that slavery pertains to impounding only physical freedom. However, can people not be slaves of the mind? In other words, some slaves are not physically or directly subjugated, but rather they are oblivious to even being slaves. Hundreds of years ago, light-skinned Arabs migrated across Africa, enslaving the dark-skinned African locals. However, this was a peculiar method of slavery in that slave owners would not directly buy or sell slaves. This culture instilled the idea that dark-skinned Africans are inferior to their light-skinned counterparts, and that their place was to serve the Arab families. Although their superiors did physically abuse and harass them quite frequently, these dark-skinned people did not even realize that they were slaves– they were just under the impression that this was the normal law of order and culture. At that point, the dark-skinned Africans’ enslavement was essentially a part of their identity. Consequently, they would resist even freedom itself because they believed and feared that they would not be able to survive in the unfettered world outside of subjugation. This enslavement of the mind alone kept them attached and confined to their corresponding Arab families. 

So in this situation, what exactly is freedom? Is it the orthodox interpretation of freedom in which the slaves escape or are released from their owners or families? Or is it actually staying enslaved? In this context, I believe that remaining enslaved is freedom for the slaves due to the fact that the world outside of the slaves’ usual subjugation is so unfamiliar and alien to the dark-skinned people, that they would not be able to comfortably live or survive there. Thus, slavery is not always a direct obverse of freedom in that it certainly depends on the circumstances and the viewpoint from which one analyzes the situation.

Similarly, in George Orwell’s novel 1984, the authoritarian Party which controlled and monitored the citizens of the superstate known as Oceania administered the propaganda slogan “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength” (Orwell 6). How can freedom be slavery in this situation? Well, the Party is basically indicating that under surveillance and control of the Party, the citizens are free from foreign dangers in the world. Moreover, via the slogan, the Party conveys that anyone who is independent of the Party’s control will not succeed or flourish. Another contrary to freedom is dependence, which is the state being controlled or dominated by someone or something else. In order to obtain complete freedom, one must be entirely independent and individualistic with zero impediments in their way. 

Hence, freedom does not specifically have one definition. Its interpretation heavily depends on the given situation and context. In most situations, freedom pertains to having the ability to choose and act freely without any restrictions; however, in other situations, freedom can be interpreted differently. In the end, freedom can have different meanings or connotations to people from various backgrounds, cultures, and circumstances.