Single Idea 22040

[catalogued under 16. Persons / F. Free Will / 2. Sources of Free Will]

Full Idea

Actual freedom is not something immediately existent in mindedness, but is something to be produced by the mind's own activity. It is thus as the producer of its freedom that we have to consider mindedness in philosophy.

Gist of Idea

Freedom is produced by the activity of the mind, and is not intrinsically given

Source

Georg W.F.Hegel (Philosophy of Mind (Encylopedia III) [1817], §382, Zusatz), quoted by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 11

Book Reference

Pinkard,Terry: 'German Philosophy 1760-1860' [CUP 2002], p.284


A Reaction

Pinkard glosses this as an agent being free by being the centre of a group of social responsibilities. Hence I presume small children have no freedom. Presumably we could deprive citizens of all responsibility, and hence of metaphysical freedom.