The Limits of Freedom

I have recently made some provocative post on my Instagram feed. I’ve questioned to motives of those who are against mask wearing, lockdown, and vaccinations. The counter arguments against some of my post do not seem to be grounded in evidence but a set of assumptions. These assumptions include that public health recommendations and mandates impede on individual freedom, so they’re wrong.

This argument about “freedom” doesn’t really address whether one is making a reasonable choice to not wear a mask or become vaccinated but seem to be a means to give that person carte blanche irrespective of consequence. Nevertheless, we need to address the foundational question, what is meant by freedom?

In discussions with these individuals it seems as if they’re talking about freedom in society. The society in which they live in permits personal freedom to do as they see fit, but even in societies such as the USA there are inherent limitations to “freedom”.

Perhaps a more descriptive interpretation of the word “freedom” is the concept of liberty. Liberty is the ability to do and say as one pleases without restriction, so it is often synonymous with our understanding of freedom. If liberty is meant by freedom then we would have to discuss the philosophical and legal nuances of liberty. In this discussion we will go over some of the limitations of liberty and different considerations for this concept.

Liberty is a defining characteristic of liberalism, a philosophical and political position which seeks to…