Freedom for All?

       What is freedom? Freedom is a broad term with a number of definitions that are different for everyone. In the society of St. Domingue (Haiti), there were several classes of people, from slaves to European slave owners. To learn more about St. Domingue, click here. A slave would define freedom as being able to live with no restrictions. This meant one would have the liberty to work for themselves, own their own land, and do what they want without the presence of higher authority to oppress them. This definition would contrast greatly with a free man's or slave owner's definition of freedom. A freed man in St. Domingue may view freedom as liberty with a check on power to provide some limitations, which would ensure order. A slave owner's definition of freedom would the most selective; that freedom is only for white Europeans to exercise, and not for African slaves. These definitions are different because these people hold different positions in society, which greatly alters their point of view. A slave has no freedom and therefore would desire to be completely independent, while a free man knows his entitlements and therefore knows his limitations, giving him his understanding of order. The slave owner has the most freedom, and therefore is blind to the issues that other people are facing. Freedom is a very difficult word to define, for no one is ever truly free. True freedom for some means oppression for others. As the British political philosopher Isaiah Berlin once said, "Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs." If I had to define freedom, I would say that freedom is equality of all men, and to be free you have to be able to do what you want, and have what you want, with limitations to keep you from harming others. I say this because in the age we live in today, we are all free by definition. We are not forced to work against our will. However, when people get too much power they affect the lives of others. If my definition were to be put into place in the society of St. Domingue, it would get rid of slave owners and everyone would work by their won will. However, there would need to be a political figure in place to keep everyone in order. As far as any definition goes, no one can ever truly be free, and no one can  ever be equally as free as someone else.