Any modern person strives for freedom: freedom of speech, action, action. Each of us imagines it in our own way, and these ideas are quite different. For some, this is freedom of action. For others, independence by the authorities. Still others are quite happy with the democratic situation in the country and consider themselves free. What does this word really mean? How does an individual imagine freedom? And how is society connected with the state?
A free society is ...
Firstly, to begin with, it is impossible to give an exact answer to the first question. As already mentioned, for each person freedom has its own meaning. That is why it makes sense to talk about the freedom of society as a whole. In any of them there are certain rules, laws, moral standards, and there is no escape from this.
A free society is a society when the state intervenes in a person’s life only as necessary and only in certain cases. What are these situations? This applies to those cases when it is necessary to support life activity or when it comes to the development of society as a whole. It is worth recalling that this does not mean absolutely complete freedom. For example, if a person violates the rights of another individual, then this will certainly be followed by punishment. That is why we are talking about a free society. What it is?
Society means society. Therefore, no matter what a person does, he must not violate the law in force in this state and suppress or infringe upon the rights of other citizens. A free society is, among other things, the case when all the people of the country are equal before the law. In fact, this is certainly not the case. But now it's completely different. What else is characterized by a free society?
Society and the state: interconnection
The main figure in society is the individual - any person who has needs. Since the state and the population are closely interconnected, it is the state that provides the needs of society. What does it mean? In addition to basic biological needs, society needs the right to choose, action.
A person can and should act as he wants. The main thing is that individuals do not step over the laws and do not violate the rights of others. The state precisely controls that this does not happen.
Features of a free society
A free society has a number of features. Firstly, it is freedom in entrepreneurial activity. Nobody forbids becoming a successful businessman, choosing an occupation to your liking and developing it. But again, the main thing is that this is not against the law.
Secondly, a sufficient number of parties. In society, there are different segments of the population. One party cannot do everything at once. Therefore, each of them is engaged in various groups of society, representing their interests. Everyone knows that in Russia there is democracy. In other words, this is a policy aimed at the freedom of citizens: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to choose and other advantages. But that is not all.
Another sign of a free society is the regulation of the life of citizens in everyday life. Perhaps someone will say that this contradicts the concept itself, but nonetheless, there is nowhere without it. In society, there are certain rules of behavior, laws that must be observed, and in addition to them, moral standards. The latter, unfortunately, are violated more and more often in the modern world. We figured out what signs a free society has, and now let's move on to its models.
Free Society Models
There are also several models of free society.
- The functionalist model is a society whose activities are aimed at creating a stable society.
- The sociocultural model combines such two sciences: sociology and anthropology.
- The third, conflict model is not the best option, as some people obey others, and there are constant conflicts in society.
There are certain limitations to any of these models. There can be no absolute freedom. More precisely, if we consider the theoretical point of view, it can. But this is by no means good. It is enough to imagine this society without any rules, restrictions and laws. In this case, chaos, disorder, lawlessness will reign in the world. That is, it is quite possible to conclude that a modern free society is much better than absolute freedom.
Limited and absolute freedom: which is better?
Today, just a free society exists. This society is limited by certain factors, but this is done exclusively in the interests of modern society. It is impossible to give society absolute freedom. After all, it will negatively affect the individual and society as a whole. It is thanks to the laws and moral principles in the country that order exists. Nevertheless, despite the laws, rules and regulations, the concept of “free society” has existed in our country for a long time, although it does not imply absolute human freedom.