Freedom of Indifference Vs Freedom for Excellence

Freedom of Indifference or Freedom for Excellence

        There are two types of freedom: freedom of indifference and freedom for excellence.  Freedom of indifference defines freedom as our actions done by only ourselves. It does not matter what one chooses to do as long as the action was done by themselves.  Freedom for excellence defines freedom as an action you choose to do. Freedom for excellence says that freedom has a purpose to make the human happy and grow in goodness.  Under this definition of freedom, our actions are not more free if we just do them only by ourselves, but if it adds to our happiness.  Freedom is supposed to make us better people.

        When one is debating whether or not an action is free, many arguments come into play.  The example of a man walking down the street and into a band of robbers who recently robbed a bank and force him to drive their getaway car is full of reasons that show freedom is not determined only by whether or not you do something.  A person who takes the freedom of indifference position believes that freedom is determined by you own action, thus the man driving the getaway car is free in choosing to drive.  The decision to drive did not arise out of the driver, but the robbers, meaning the driver was forced by an external influence to do something that he would not regularly do, thus the act is not free. Although the man driving is intentionally acting, this does not make his action free.  This is because the action is happening to the driver rather than arising from him.  The man acted under duress in order to survive the incident.  Therefore the man cannot be held responsible for his actions because he was not completely free.  Although bad and good influences can make us less free, people can become more free by understanding their actions.  Many of our actions have external influences, but this does not remove our freedom.  We have the power to understand why we do things, and according to the situation, we can become more or less free depending on the circumstances.