MAN IS BORN FREE BUT EVERYWHERE HE IS
IN CHAINS
Or
BORN FREE, BOUND BY CHAINS
Or
INHERENT FREEDOM, IMPOSED CONSTRAINTS
Or
THE DUALITY OF LIBERTY AND RESTRAINT
Or
FROM BIRTHRIGHT TO BONDAGE
Outline:
- Introduction:
Thesis: While born free, individuals encounter
various restrictions as they mature. Some constraints foster civilization,
while others degrade humanity.
- Three
Categories of Human Freedom: Initially, individuals are liberated from
inequalities. They possess the freedom to employ reason and learn from
experiences (Illustrated by the Quranic encouragement of reasoning and the
US Constitution's emphasis on the pursuit of happiness).
- Inevitable
Constraints for Civilizing Humanity: Imposed by:
- Conscience,
for moral righteousness.
- Social
control, for maintaining discipline.
- Divine
laws.
- Man-made
laws.
- Detrimental
Restrictions:
I.
Imposed by draconian laws: Examples include laws
targeting Kashmiris in India (e.g., AFSPA) and Muslims in the West (e.g.,
against wearing scarves).
II.
Present Educational System's Constraints: It tends to
produce conformists rather than free thinkers.
III.
Constraints within the Nation-State System: Restricts
freedom of movement, as seen in the plight of immigrants and refugees.
- Conclusion:
In Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet, Shakespeare tries to convey the
true nature of Man. He poetically expresses how Man is unique and infinite in
his abilities. These infinite abilities are testimony to the inherent freedom
enjoyed by Man. He is free to use his infinite faculties in infinite ways. He
can aspire to become a doctor and can use his faculties accordingly to fulfill
his ambition. He can aspire to become a civil servant and therefore he can
adjust himself accordingly to get what he craves for. But there is a catch. He
is not free during his lifetime. Although he is born free with time as he grows
up, various restrictions limit him. He can only become a doctor after acquiring
a medical degree. Likewise, he cannot become a civil servant unless he passes the
CSS examination. Such restrictions or conditions are inevitable for the proper
functioning of human society. On the contrary, some chains tend to treat Men as
animals. Those restrictions are meant to tame humans like animals. Dictators
and monarchs often resort to such tools to chain their subjects. Therefore, Man
is free by birth but in the later phase of his life, he has to face some
restrictions. Some of the restrictions are inevitable and make him civilized
while others are detrimental and tend to treat them as mere animals.
According to major theories of famous philosophers, Man is born
free. It is not merely a matter of theory but Man is free In reality. John
Locke in his "Treatise on Government” and Jean Jacques Rousseau in his
magnum opus "Social Contract” expounded that man is born free. Hobbes in
his 'Leviathan* considered Man as a free being to such an extent, that he
called absolute freedom.
First of all, at birth, Man is free from the shackles of
inequalities. All men are equal. They are not restricted by various chains of
social stratification. Son of a king and a pauper is born alike. They have an equal
set of chromosomes. They have equality in every aspect. But with time, these
equalities diminish and various biases creep in. Son of a king and a pauper, do
not eat similar food, do not wear similar clothes, and are not educated similarly.
Such discrepancy in upbringing proves to be a chain for both. The Son of a king
cannot behave like the son of a pauper because the milieu around him will not
permit him to do so. Similarly, the son of a pauper cannot afford a lavish
lifestyle because socio-economic chains prevent him from doing so.
Secondly, all men are born with an innate ability to reason
and learn from their experiences using reason. Human reason is the most
unbridled faculty of human beings and also the most important one. It is a
distinguishing factor for human beings. They transcend animals owing to their
intellect. Moreover, it is also the most important tool for human beings to
understand the deep realities of the universe For this very reason, the Quran
has encouraged man to exercise his reason. Allah says “There are signs for
those who understand" and “Don’t you understand or hearts of you are
locked up?"
Thirdly, the pursuit of happiness is a basic freedom and
right. Every man, irrespective of his color or any distinction, reserves the right
to pursue what pleases him. American Declaration of Independence and their Constitution
have borrowed this concept from John Locke. According to Thomas Jefferson, who
was one of those persons who drafted the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit
of happiness is an inalienable right. But there are still restrictions that bar
humans from wildly pursuing their mundane desires. Restrictions like religion
and law are necessary to check the misuse of any form of freedom.
Chains of conscience are the first line of defense against
misuse of freedom. Man has freedom when he is born but no conscience. Various
factors contribute to the development of conscious Parents who teach their
children about good and bad. Society guides them in this regard too when they
become more independent. The school environment also affects the conscience. Conscience
develops with time. When conscience is fully developed, it becomes a watchdog
over human desires. Whenever man tries to exceed his limits or commits
something immoral, conscience warns him. Often, conscience proves to be an
effective deterrent and prevents man from committing an immoral act. Sometimes,
conscience fails and a second line of defense is needed. Such a line of defense
against unwarranted acts is social control and pressure. Many sociologists
consider it as the most important tool to discipline a man Owing to inherent
freedom and desire to pursue what pleases him, man does not care about right
and wrong. His instinct forces him to do whatever he likes but social pressure
deters a man to wildly pursue his mundane pleasures. He fears societal reaction
to his actions. He fears possible repercussions of his actions. He dreads the wrath
of society. He does not want himself to be ostracized from his social circle.
As man is a social animal, -he can only survive within a society. Man
understands this fact and this is why he does not want to face ridicule or
anger of society. Therefore, social control is a tool to discipline man.
In the present time, when society is fragmenting and social
pressures are weakening, formal controls have become more important. Laws are
forms of formal control. Divine laws are pertinent in this regard. God has sent
his apostle to guide mankind. Allah has created man as a free being but
provided the required guidance so that humans may remain on the right path. In the
Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says, “We have sent ye the guidance, to which if you
hold fast, ye will not go astray.” Religious guidance and laws are necessary
because they not only provide religious strictures but also moral guidance.
Islam is unique in this regard which provides all forms of guidance to human
beings so that they may become a civilized man. Man-made laws are also
pertinent for social order and control. Deviant behavior of humans can be
controlled using such laws. Such laws discipline men and prevent them from
committing wrongful acts. In the absence of law, man will become as free as a
beast. Hobbes called for laws because he thought man is evil by nature and
therefore should be disciplined. Laws are the last line of defense against
deviant or wrongful acts. If a man wants to steal some money, and neither his
conscience nor social pressure restricts him from committing a crime, certainty
of punishment will surely deter him. Therefore, laws are such chains that
ensure social order.
Not all chains and restrictions are fruitful. Some chains
tend to enslave humans and are therefore detrimental to humans. Such chains and
restrictions treat humans merely like animals which need to be tamed to exploit
them. All of such restrictions have some evil intentions as their cause. Draco
was an ancient statesman who promulgated excessively stringent laws promulgated
excessively stringent laws. Those laws are known as Draconian laws nowadays.
One of those Draconian Laws is the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA in
India. It is promulgated to target Kashmiris. It gives sweeping powers to
Indian Armed Forces which can shoot at sight and detain poor Kashmiris for an
extended period. This law is a chain for Kashmiris because it denies them the
right and freedom of fair trial. Moreover, it also denies globally recognized
freedom of self-determination In short AFSPA is a form of chain that curbs
freedom of Kashmiris. Anti-Islamic laws in France and all over Europe are also
Chains around the necks of resident Muslims. Religious freedom to wear
according to one’s religious beliefs is being curbed by such laws in Europe.
Emile Durkheim in his book “Suicide" said, “When laws regulate
excessively, life becomes unbearable." Such is the case with all Draconian
laws.
Education, according to Socrates, is a tool to develop the cognitive
and rational skills of a human being. But the present system of education is
only teaching loyalty. It only focuses on career path and not on “flight of
thought." It discourages humans from pursuing what is unconventional. The
Western education system is still better but in Pakistan, the situation is far
worse. Mark Twain once said, “I do not let schooling interfere with my
education." This is not the case in Pakistan. Here, only schooling and
high grades are considered a quality education. The quest for high grades
becomes a chain that drives students in only one direction. It does not let
students think creatively or use their intellect. Their freedom to reason is
being curbed by the present system of education.
The nation-state system has practically enslaved Man.
Previously, people used to move around the Earth without any restrictions. But
now Visa system and passports are chains for humans. They cannot flee from war.
Refugees from Syria are not being welcomed in Europe. Moreover, nationalities
have divided Mankind and restricted their affiliation to certain geographic boundaries.
As Iqbal once said, “The West is trying to limit Muslims to certain geographic
boundaries in the form of nations. Such restriction of nationalities is not
permitted in Islam."
Therefore, the nation-state system despite some benefits has
restricted the outlook of humans to particular geographic boundaries.
The upshot and quintessence of all the discussion is that
despite the fact man Is free by birth, he is controlled by some restrictions
and chains. Some of those chains make him civilized by curbing the misuse of
freedom by humans while some other forms of chains are excessive and
unjustified because they limit humans from enjoying their inherent set of
freedom. What man can do In such a situation Is to adjust himself according to
necessary restrictions and to try his utmost to break away from the unjust and
unlawful shackles. Only then mankind can be free. Only then mankind can
progress.
“Man is free. He is free to choose between good and bad. He
should be encouraged to do well and should be prevented from performing evil. Society
and the state have to guide him. But mind it; humans are not herds of animals
that need to be chained at night and to be guided during grazing in the morning"
Imam Al-Ghazali
