Length: 339 Words Reading Time: 2 Minutes
I borrowed the quote in the title of this blog from Anders Chydenius, who was a Finnish priest who was considered the “Adam Smith of the North.” He wrote on property rights, personal freedom, and free trade in 1765, eleven years before Adam Smith published “The Wealth of Nations” in 1776.
Freedom is the most important word in the English Language, in my opinion, for at least one primary reason. It is the only rational foundation for a just and civil society, as well as the foundation for all societal relationships. All human beings are free by their very nature. Freedom cannot be denied or taken away, except by force or coercion.
A natural right is “any right that exists by natural law.” Natural rights are uniquely different than legal rights; the latter are those rights that are established by law.
Freedom (or liberty) is the quintessential right for every human being. It is one of the natural rights Thomas Jefferson called “unalienable” in the Declaration of Independence, along with life and the pursuit of happiness. These three rights are natural rights because they are not established by law or by men.
All human beings have a right to life, liberty (personal freedom), and the pursuit of happiness. We have a right to live our lives as we would like and to pursue those activities that would bring us the most happiness. As long as our actions do not harm others in any way is the key qualifier. These rights cannot be restricted by other human beings or by society or by the state.
Let me end this short blog with a quote written by Sir Edward Gibbon regarding the Athenians: “… he judged more than they wanted freedom, the Athenians wanted security.” America cannot have both because security and freedom are mutually exclusive. When we ramp up security as we have done after 9/11, we degrade our freedom. It cannot be otherwise. I would rather be free and take my chances.