Understanding freedom

Yesterday, nine in the evening in St. Petersburg, the philosopher of the anarchist direction, quite respected in anarchist circles, Pyotr Ryabov gave a lecture on the "concept of freedom."

His speech was truly cultural, against the backdrop of a huge number of titled lecturers, broadcasting ignorantly and ambitious for any reason (usually this imperial reason, but not necessarily) - Peter Ryabov looked great. Modestly, but confidently, erudite, but not suppressing, intelligibly, but not vulgar his speech flowed.

But the content of the lecture did not leave me satisfied. The lecturer noted two understandings of freedom: “Freedom is a conscious necessity” (Marx-Gohel-Spinosis-Stoika) such a genealogy of this idea was indicated by the speaker and “Freedom is an opportunity”-(Sartre-Berdyaev-Kirkegor-Dostoevsky-Mirandollah). Ryabov solidarized with the thesis "Freedom is an opportunity" and began to explain it.

Of course, I also agree with the second understanding of freedom. But how the speaker set it out!

The words "tragedy" "horror" "Sisyph" "must" debt "" death "sounded from him every minute. Freedom has not turned into awareness, not the need, but moral duty. Awareness of freedom and the fact of freedom were connected by him with horror. Sometimes a protruding, like many philosophers, confused freedom with omnipotence before him.

And he came into despondency from the absence of omnipotence in a person.

The audience, mostly young and very pleasant listened with enthusiasm. These horrors inspired her. The public needed not freedom, the public already has freedom, the public needed the opportunity to feel herself involved in something heroic and terrible. And Peter Ryabov gave such an opportunity.

After the lecture, I briefly expressed my criticism. The speaker reacted with the tact and the ability of an experienced speaker. Already on the street, I asked the young fellow traveler his impression: "I am a Fan of Ryabov, I like everything that he does ..." The free young man answered.

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