Freedom

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A simple question can get us started:

1) Is a man in a cage free, if he has no wish to leave that cage?

It seems to me there are two possible answers:

1. No. In which case we determine freedom based on the physical.
2. Yes. In which case freedom is in the mind.

No answers itself.

In the case of B, move forward...

However, if "yes", that gives us one more question:

2) Is the man in the cage aware of a world beyond his cage?

If the man is aware of all the world beyond his cage, and yet chooses to remain in his cage, is he:

1. Still help captive be fears and such? (which takes us back to 1)
2. Free, because he has veiwed all options and made a choice?

In the case of B, he is free.

However, if the man is not aware of the world beynd his cage, that gives rise to a third question:

3) Is ignorance bliss?

1. Ignorance of other options means slavery.
2. Ignorance of other options does not mean slavery.

Would anyone care to create further logical constructs, or answer the final two questions?

Is the man in the cage free if he has no desire to leave the cage?

No; and NOT because "freedom is based on the physical." But because he could change his mind, and then find out he never had the option to leave. Case in point: caste systems when confronted with the modern world.

Is he free if he has no knowledge of the world beyond the cage? No; he's a prisoner of his own lack of knowledge. Case in point: the legendary Japanese soldiers stranded on obscure islands who didn't know the war was over.

But ... are you leading up to Plato's "prisoners in the cave?" metaphor? Because I'n not entirely sure that's correct. I remember a question that came up long ago on another list, "Suppose we're living in a construct like The Matrix. What are we to do?"

Answer: play the game the best way we can, and if we see cracks in the system, explore them thoroughly."

Or is this to be a simple exercise in fault-tree logic? Anyway, fun game.

Ignorance is bliss untill it kills you.