Rakhmanovskaya E.A. Social Meanings of Freedom

Abstract: This research is devoted to internal freedom and its links with social determinants. The author compared the views of Nikolay Berdyaev and Erich Fromm and made a conclusion that the Russian philosopher was deeper in the problem by virtue of religious basis of his humanism. Berdyaev believes that freedom comes from Ungrund. It has no foundation but it is a foundation of everything. Freedom for him is the clue for any anthropological philosophizing. He denies any social determination of freedom as it appears to be personal challenge, but this challenge might be rejected nevertheless. The paradox is that freedom is much concerned with restrictions. Especially self-restrictions distinguish freedom from self-will; allow person to get free of everything useless, alien and destruction. The author considers the phenomenon of freedom and self-will in terms of good and evil, investigates relationship between freedom and responsibility. Research methods of historical and philosophical analysis, historic comparison and philosophical anthropology are used in the article. The phenomenon of freedom has taken place in the works of many philosophers and each time it presented new meanings and aspects. In this research however it appears as internal freedom which has  an internal sense of personality but not social relationships as a source. 

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