I have a dream.
I have a dream that one day my little children will live in a nation where they will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
This is a line from Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial that is often repeated: "I Have a Dream."
He was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to nonviolent resistance and the civil rights movement. Although he met his tragic end, the "freedom" he portrayed was that of a hero who pursued negative liberty, one of the two freedoms proposed by Isaiah Berlin in "On Liberty."
Berlin's theory of freedom breaks down the nature of the word "freedom" into two parts: "negative freedom," which refers to the freedom of individuals to act according to their own will, free from external constraints and coercion, and "positive freedom," which refers to the ability to make decisions according to one's own will, and the derived nuance of control, which gives one the power and opportunity to realize one's will. This book philosophically explains the danger that the pursuit of positive freedom can sometimes lead to the domination of individuals by groups or nations. With great freedom comes great responsibility. Looking at the words "negative" and "positive," many people have a better impression of the latter. However, actions taken to gain the power and opportunity to realize one's own will carry the risk of restricting the freedom of others. Freedom comes in many forms, but the pursuit of excessive and selfish freedom is not sustainable. I think it delicately expresses the principles of the world. Mendy Sekiguchi, who graced the cover of the magazine, announced her graduation from her agency the day before our interview. I imagine he must have had immeasurable conflicts before he reached his decision. By some coincidence, he was born in the same year as me, 1991. Inspired by this encounter, I reread the book "Where's the Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, which he mentioned in the interview.
It is a masterpiece that gives insight into the basic premise that change is inevitable, the flexibility and adaptability to deal with change, and above all, the significance of overcoming fear and taking action.
In this rapidly changing era, adapting to change as a kind of survival strategy seems to make sense even when viewed through the lens of freedom that Berlin preached. In my eyes, I saw both sides: a flexible adaptation to change while striving for greater heights, and a pursuit of "negative freedom" that allows one to act according to one's own will, free from external constraints and coercion.
The word "freedom" is said to have originated when Yukichi Fukuzawa translated "liberty" as "one's own way of being."
The word "freedom" does not mean that freedom is given to others, but rather that "one's own will and thoughts should be the reason for one's actions." This philosophical meaning may be included.
Moreover, "positive freedom," which has the power and opportunity to realize one's will given to others, is not even considered to be free in the first place. Freedom without oneself is unfree.
The criteria and reasons for decisions are always within oneself, and the basis for those decisions is oneself——
Related articles
Trajectory "Miracles caused by passionate action"—Iolite vol.7 Editor's note
blossom "What we have is not meaning, but the future"—Iolite vol.6 Editor's note
