Freedom and Survival

Freedom and survival are almost equal in reference to their importance. However, survival is one of humans' basic instincts, so therefore it is a little bit more important. We are programmed to do whatever it is necessary to survive. Going back to the aggressive instinct, people will do whatever, even if it means acting violently, if their survival is in danger. In this reference, it is our freedom to protect our survival. For instance, if a person is attacked, it is their right to act violently if they feel their survival is in danger. The two, freedom and survival, work hand in hand, just like the erotic and destructive instincts. Humans will do whatever is necessary to survive. But on the other hand, why would we choose to survive if we know we don't have any freedom. Survival is still more important because even if we didn't have freedom, humans would still do whatever was necessary in order to survive. Freedom is not more important because although it is extremely important in life and is one of our reasons that we want to survive, freedom may not necessarily protect our survival. If a person is completely free, and they are diagnosed with cancer, they may still die, even if they do all that is possible. Their survival is still at risk even if they benefit from complete freedom. Although I am extremely grateful of the freedom I have, and realize that not everybody has the same freedoms as I do, I value my survival a bit more. If I were a person who had more limited freedoms, I think I would feel differently. If I had very little freedoms, I would say that freedom was more important because I didn't have freedom at the time. Because I am privileged enough to have very many freedoms, I am more worried about my survival. Tomorrow I could be diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, which would risk my survival. They are both important because they work so closely together, but survival ranks higher in my books. As humans, we are powered to survive. We have an instinct that tells us to do whatever is necessary to see tomorrow. We do not have a specific instinct that propels us to gain more freedom. It is our survival instinct, which drives us to desire freedom because when we have a lack of freedom, we don't feel like we are surviving, but are instead suffocating. Everyone has a different opinion about this subject based on what they feel is at risk. In my personal life, I am much more worried about my survival than my freedom, so I feel like survival is more important than freedom.

Is War Good?

            War is a very complicated idea and so I think it is hard to answer this question in such a black and white fashion. There are reasons why I think that war is a good idea. For one, when a group decided to go to war, they usually have a lot of information and reasons to back up their intentions so they’re going to war for a cause they feel strongly about. Also, if a group is successful in war then they will get what they were fighting for and hopefully their success will contribute to the success and happiness of the group they’re fighting for. If a group of people is so passionate about an issue then it is a great triumph when they win the war. But on the flip side of that, if they lose and their cause is lost, then most likely countless lives have been lost just to end up in a situation similar to that pre-war or a situation much worse. It is never a good situation when lives are lost, but at times, if a situation is completely intolerable and war is the only option, you have to go to war. Of course other alternative options should be taken to try to alleviate the problem before it gets uncontrollable. War should always be the last option. Period. We have to think about other possible solutions before we decide to go to war. War can be good if it is successful and the outcome weighs out all of the negatives. At times, war seems to be the only way to help the situation.  

            It is human nature for people with different takes on a situation or opinions to want to fight. The fighting between people starts in preschool and continues through old age. Fighting is something that the human race will never be able to get away from. So then it comes to the question, “Is what I believe strong and serious enough to risk the lives of thousands of people?”  When a group is debating on whether or not to go to war, this question must always be asked.

            For a group to go to war, the issues have to be very serious and they have to affect a large number of people. Personally, I would go to war if we had a good chance of winning, we wouldn’t lose too many people in the process, if it was the absolute last option, and if we had a legitimate reason to go. War is a serious issue so there needs to be a lot of deliberation before a decision is made. I would go to war if an issue were so serious and debilitating that a large group of people was suffering because of it. You have to think about how many people could potentially lose their lives fighting the war and compare that to how many people are suffering as a result of the issue at hand. War is not something to take lightly so making the decision to go to war should not be taken lightly either.