LAISVĖ VERTYBIŲ KONTEKSTE
FREEDOM IN THE CONTEXT OF VALUES

Summary/Abstract: The ideas of freedom, equality and justice have become the increased focus of philosophy discourse as well as the tools of political activities. They particularly stand out in the doctrine of neoliberalism, which advocates a reign of freedom. However, it has to be admitted that the concept of freedom which is ascribed to the highest values of contemporary social and political discourses is not mentioned in classical or modern axiological theories. This leads to the question whether freedom is a value indeed. In an attempt to discuss this question, the article briefly addresses different treatments of freedom concepts and further elaborates on “the paradox of freedom”. Also, it is noteworthy that values are concurrent with human needs though the need of freedom is neither paramount nor fundamental. It is concluded that the contemporary exaltation of freedom and its attribution to the highest values raise a serious question why freedom as a value is not mentioned in classical and modern axiological theories, which induces us to turn back to the concept of freedom and its ontological status once more. This leads to more extensive research.

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