What is intellectual freedom?

Have you ever stopped to think about this question? Are we really free to think and develop our own independent intellectuality? Can we freely and openly express it without the fear of being discriminated or misunderstood? Or…

It seems to me that current intellectual thinking have been shaped and forged in some kind of invisible mass brain mould? We must all think the same and fit in with the politically correct agenda.

But, have we ever learned how to freely think? How to express our intellectual thinking in words and discourse without the risk or fear of being discriminated?

Intellectual freedom is one of the most challenging aspects of being truly human and express our humanity in the 21st century.

Anything that goes against the current status quo is seen as a threat. So it was with Socrates during his days on earth until he got himself killed for daring to be intellectually free.

How can I know for sure I am truly free in my thoughts? Do my actions reflect my thoughts? Are they congruent to my intellectual thinking?

Perhaps today is a good day to start asking these pertaining and life changing questions… It’s is a matter of life or death… There is no true freedom without some sort of death.

“Intellectual freedom begins when one says with Socrates that he knows that he knows nothing, and then goes on to add: Do you know what you don’t know and therefore what you should know? If your answer is affirmative and humble, then you are your own teacher, you are making your own assignment, and you will be your own best critic. You will not need externally imposed courses, nor marks, nor diplomas, nor a nod from your boss . . . in business or in politics.” (from the essay The Last Don Rag) Scott M. Buchanan