freedom according to camus, adler, gandhi, buddhism and modernity

Since Protagoras’ famous “man is the measure of all things,” declaring human freedom as an unlimited absolute, philosophers have been fascinated with the idea of freedom.

Philosopher/scholar Adler categorized freedom as:

  1. self-realization
  2. acquired state of mind
  3. self-determination: to determine — not necessarily carry-out — wishes/actions in life

Gandhi thought, “freedom isn’t worth having if it doesn’t connote freedom to err.”

Hindu/Buddhist freedom is embedded in moksha; to Chuang Tzu freedom meant “free yourself from the world.”

In modern China/world, freedom is “fusion of personal, national, social, civic, and moral freedoms” or “liberation, self-development, independent personality/responsibility, democracy/human-rights, spiritual-cultural necessity, privacy, autonomy/self-mastery.

what is money?

Banks create money based on borrowers’ promise (in exchange for bank loans) to pay back, i.e. money is created out of debt.

The Bible:“One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has great wealth” (Proverbs 13:7). Or: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.”(Proverbs 22:7).

Buddhism states  money complex is a demonic religion – demonic because it cannot absolve our sense of lack.

French classic-liberal Bastiat‘s collection includes an Achilles-Tortoise-styled polemic about money.

P.S. Bush’s grandfather used money helping Hitler rise to power.