Freedom and its Discontents: A Relational Reconstruction

While the value placed on freedom may be universal, the meaning of the concept and its implications vary widely across history and culture. It is the concept of freedom central to the Western tradition that I wish to explore in the present offering – with special attention to the concept of free will. As I will propose, there are tensions within the longstanding assumptions upon which the concept of free agency rests. These tensions not only create insoluble philosophic problems, but more importantly, foster a chronic condition of social conflict. Today, such conflict increases in both its reach and intensity. It is in this context that I will introduce a relational conception of human action, an alternative that removes these tensions from their regnant position in cultural life. Further, when the implications of this relational view are played out, alternative routes to the amelioration of conflict are opened – from the personal level to the global. I do not include in this account issues of slavery, incarceration, or other instances of full human confinement. My concerns are with the implications of presuming voluntary choice for the state of wellbeing in everyday life.