Thoughts abt 'Freedom'

1) "Necessity is blind until it becomes conscious. Freedom is the consciousness of necessity", Karl Marx.

A typical socialist's point of view. I agree with the first sentence. Unless you realise the importance and effect of certain things, you will always be averse to them. There's a huge difference between 'want' and 'need'. A 'want' is not essential for your survival, its merely a tool to satisfy your craving and desires. A 'need' on the other hand, is essential for you to live, not just to lead a content life, but for your mere survival.

As for the rest, I disagree. Accepted that I should take the times and the scenario into consideration, but nevertheless, I disagree. When you become aware of certain necessities in your life, you also need to fulfill them. I am aware that I need food or thought, but just being aware/ conscious of these doesnt make me free. Only when I have achieved all my said necessities shall I be free. Maybe the author siad this as being the first step towards freedom, because you cannot reach/achieve for something unless you know what to reach/achieve for.


2) “It’s only after you’ve lost everything,” Tyler says, “that you’re free to do anything.” From "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk.
or "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose...", Janis Joplin.

Why do people talk about losing? I agree partly that one has to escape from the shackles on thought cast by society to be really free. Society taught us about right and wrong, about ethics, morals, values; and we continue to think on those lines even when we are well educated. Even when we want to form an unprejudiced view, we can't, because somewhere in the background society has posted a view on all things, a biased view, based on what society thinks is right. So, to think freely, I guess we will have to lose everything we, or better said, deacclimatize ourselves to or unlearn the teachings of society.

3) My view -
Now I am confused. I ont think that losing everything will give me freedom. I guess because I have a different view of freedom. Freedom for me is gaining everything I need. So I guess I lie somewhere between the two extreme views above. I am confused now!!