The Four Freedoms

April 8, 2006 4:41 PM

We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.In his State of the Union address on January 6, 1941 [mp3 of whole speech; Real audio links], President Franklin D. Roosevelt identified four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear (essays from the Carnegie Council's September 2005 Study Guide to the Four Freedoms). Roosevelt's speech inspired a series of paintings by Norman Rockwell. [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha (23 comments total)

The first is freedom of speech and expression--everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way--everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want--which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants-everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear--which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor--anywhere in the world.

Critiques of Rockwell's Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.

Harry Taylor's recent confrontation with President Bush inspired comparisons with Rockwell's Freedom of Speech painting.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:42 PM on April 8, 2006

Wow ... two Norman Rockwell posts in a row. Cool.
posted by ericb at 4:47 PM on April 8, 2006

Rockwellfilter
posted by jonson at 4:50 PM on April 8, 2006

I vehemently disgree with those last two. 'Freedom from' is NOT freedom.

Freedom is the ability to do what you want, pretty much when you want, without repercussions. (at least from the government.)

Freedom from want, on the other hand, means that you're owed physical things by the world just for existing. That's a separate and debatable issue, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with liberty.

And freedom from fear is a laughable concept; fear is built into people. There's always someone or something to be scared of, even if it's not an actual threat. People will seek out things to fear if they can't find enough in their own lives. See: scary movies and videogames.

This usage of freedom is deceitfully taking advantage of an artifact of language... mapping the concepts of 'liberty' and 'lack of' onto the same word. They're separate issues, and should be treated that way.
posted by Malor at 5:34 PM on April 8, 2006

What do the other three freedoms paintings look like? I've only ever seen that first one.
posted by delmoi at 5:50 PM on April 8, 2006

oops, I didn't see the 'more inside' before posting that last comment.
posted by delmoi at 5:51 PM on April 8, 2006

yeah, freedom-from-want socialism is kinda old & busted now.

There's some sociopolitical argument to be made that in modern society of such immense wealth as ours that the average middle-class joe, eg. the person running a checkstand, or a school-teacher, should be able to have a relatively convenient commute to/fro the workplace, access to first-class yet affordable medical care for their entire family, and sufficient opportunities for individual advancement, eg. affordable community college classes.

Only free-market fundamentalists believe the Market (PBUI) can provide all that for everyone in our society.

The US, we're kinda drifting away from that, and have been since the 1980s I guess.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 6:13 PM on April 8, 2006

middle-class joe...should be able to have a relatively convenient commute to/fro the workplace, access to first-class yet affordable medical care for their entire family, and sufficient opportunities for individual advancement, eg. affordable community college classes. Only free-market fundamentalists believe the Market (PBUI) can provide all that for everyone in our society.

Heh. Taxing land rents would take care of the commute and increasing the supply of doctors (by relaxing licensing restrictions) would make visits vastly more affordable. You've got me (maybe) on the community college issue, but a lot of free-market fundamentalists have little problem with state- and locally-operated community colleges.

You shouldn't pretend, however, that the massive subsidies that the Feds have thrown at college students have nothing at all to with the ridiculous cost of college.
posted by Kwantsar at 8:06 PM on April 8, 2006

Sorry. Don't know how my link disappeared.
posted by Kwantsar at 8:07 PM on April 8, 2006

Freedom from want, on the other hand, means that you're owed physical things by the world just for existing. That's a separate and debatable issue, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with liberty.

IMHO:
In the context of the speech "freedom from want" refers to freedom from governmental intervention at least as much as it refers to the New Deal policies outlined earlier in the address. Almost the whole speech is devoted to the fight against dictatorship. "Freedom of expression" does not imply the right to yell fire in a theater or defame someone's character. Nor does the phrase "freedom from want" imply the right to a handout regardless of situation or ability. FDR was using repetition to heighten the impact of his speech, but I think it is far from clear that he was deceitfully conflating the concepts of "liberty" and "lack of".
posted by thrako at 9:05 PM on April 8, 2006

Freedom, how quaint....
posted by photoslob at 9:10 PM on April 8, 2006

It is arguable that you are not particular free to do what you wish if you are starving to death in a gutter.
posted by kyrademon at 9:18 PM on April 8, 2006

I think "freedom" is a malleable enough word that any general critique of its use is pretty worthless. The situation and context of FDR's speech makes the use of the words, both substantively and rhetorically, both obvious and appropriate.

Also, I find Rockwell's Freedom of Speech painting incredibly moving for some reason, even though I am not predisposed to like his style.
posted by Falconetti at 10:30 PM on April 8, 2006

Also also, reading through the critiques of each of the paintings, I am impressed with the care Rockwell put into each one, making sure to try to capture exactly what he thought each freedom meant and not to inadvertantly signify something else, like smugness concerning overabundance.
posted by Falconetti at 10:35 PM on April 8, 2006

It is arguable that you are not particular free to do what you wish if you are starving to death in a gutter.

I would also argue that induction of fear is a very powerful form of control. I think it's silly to poopoo an idea because it's related by one commonly understood logical step instead of being purely literal. Also we're clearly not talking about everyday phobias and scary movies here.
posted by Skwirl at 11:52 PM on April 8, 2006

It is arguable that you are not particular free to do what you wish if you are starving to death in a gutter.

The libertarian conception of freedom is not the "freedom to do what you wish", but simply an assurance that whatever you do wish to do, nobody else will try to stop you. (Modulo some no-nos like murder, theft, etc.)
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 4:45 AM on April 9, 2006

Which is probably one reason I'm not a libertarian - I don't think that definition of freedom is broad enough for many situations, and it's also arguably too broad, if interpreted as many do interpret it, in other cases.
posted by kyrademon at 12:59 PM on April 9, 2006

It is arguable that you are not particular free to do what you wish if you are starving to death in a gutter.

Or as Anatole France so succinctly put it, "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:26 PM on April 9, 2006

Updated by Tim Kreider.
posted by dansdata at 1:27 PM on April 9, 2006

Freedom, schmeedom.

FDR makes the speech and a few months later, Japanese-Americans are headed to internment camps.

Tell me another one.
posted by storybored at 3:18 PM on April 9, 2006

I fear Muslims.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 9:24 PM on April 9, 2006

Freedom is slavery. - George Orwell, 1984 newspeak
posted by nofundy at 7:27 AM on April 10, 2006

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. - Kris Kristofferson, Me and Bobby McGee lyrics
posted by nofundy at 9:40 AM on April 10, 2006