34 What is freedom?
This may be the most difficult question, as the answer may rely on the person who is responding. But, as humans, and perhaps more specifically humans in the West, people share some history and some background assumptions about freedom. Freedom “is the one value that many people seem prepared to die for,” writes sociologist Orlando Patterson, author of Freedom in the Making of Western Culture. Individualism is characteristic of the west; to be an individual is to have the freedom to be that, right? Or maybe not.
Consider how freedom to live a bigger life, to have more opportunities, began to evolve in the Late Middle Ages. What changes occurred during this time? What opportunities did those changes ultimately provide?
The Reformation is also a period of great change. The Church, the Roman Catholic Church, is questioned and ultimately loses the grip it has held on people in the West.
As America comes of age in the 20th century, things begin to move very quickly. During the Industrial Revolution, the populace shifts from farms to cities as the industrialization that began in the previous century becomes the primary source of employment. Women continue to join the workforce in record numbers and begin to expect more freedom and opportunities.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire also leads to change, which seems to be a secondary theme in this module. This disaster exposes a terrible price that was paid for positive changes that came to workers’ rights. Does freedom always come at a cost? Think about those costs as you work through the materials in the module.
The Enlightenment philosophers advocated for God-given rights of life, liberty, and property, which led to their inclusion in the Bill of Rights. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States is the essence of what it means to fight for freedom. The fight for equality is a fight for basic human rights, the freedom to live how you want, where you want, with whom you want.
Historically, there have been many fights for freedom in the West; only a few are touched upon here. And there are still many rights and freedoms for which people are still fighting.
Work Cited
Patterson, Orlando. Freedom in the Making of Western Culture. Basic Books, 1991.
i>Freedom in the Making of Western Culture. Basic Books, 1991.
