MORAL FREEDOM, Sundararaju Madri.

Moral freedom             Freedom is the ability to rule oneself. This means that one makes his or her own choices for oneself. These choices could be good, could be bad, but one is free to make them. This does not mean freedom without consequences. Everyone's choices have consequences. Every action we do determines our future. And just because we have freedom doesn't mean that we are well-informed. But what we choose is dependent on ourselves.             We must allow others the freedom they have. If everyone has freedom to make their own choices, then we must have a moral obligation not to limit what freedom they have. This does not mean that an agreement cannot be reached to limit one's freedom. But it does mean that if an agreement is not made, and if a person is not harming another, then freedom must not be limited. This is a difficult principle to live by because we want people to live the best way they can, and sometimes we think we know better what they must do better than they do. Even if that is true, we do not have the right to force people to live according to our ideals. Thus in dealing with others, we must not manipulate, control, lie to or otherwise limit others' freedom to do what they want to. Again, the only exceptions are if they don't know any better they are like children or if in their choices they are harming others.             We can make the choice to limit our freedom for a long term. Contracts are made to pay for services rendered this means that we receive a service or good and we lose the freedom to use our money in other ways. We can make an agreement with an employer to work for him or her for a period of time a week, which the employer agrees to pay us certain amounts of money. This is a long term arrangement which limits our freedom, but one in which we have the freedom to annul to obtain more freedom.