Freedom Arises from the Law

When we talk about freedom, we often imagine it as the ability to do whatever we want without anyone setting limits. But if we think carefully, real freedom doesn’t work that way. Freedom flourishes when there are laws that protect it and when, from within, we exercise it responsibly and peacefully.

That’s why I like to remember two phrases that may seem simple but carry a profound truth: “Freedom arises from the law” and “Freedom is doing in peace what must be done.”

Let’s consider some very concrete freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of thought, and freedom of religion. All of these have been hard-won historical achievements that we enjoy today, but they can also become double-edged swords when exercised without responsibility.

Freedom of speech, for example, allows us to express our ideas without fear of being silenced. It is a precious right. But what happens when someone confuses freedom with a license to insult, humiliate, or spread hatred? Then one person’s freedom becomes another’s oppression. Speaking freely does not mean speaking without respect. True freedom of speech builds, it does not destroy.

Freedom of the press is equally important. A society without a free press becomes manipulated and misled. Yet we have also seen some media outlets abuse this power to spread false news, manipulate emotions, or serve hidden interests. The law protects the freedom to inform, but the duty is to do so with honesty. When the press uses its freedom to deceive, it betrays the very reason for its existence.

Freedom of thought is perhaps the most intimate. No one can control what you think. But this freedom can also be misused when it turns into closed-mindedness, intolerance, or fanaticism. Thinking differently is a right, but believing that your way of thinking gives you the right to crush someone else’s is no longer freedom it’s abuse.

Freedom of religion is one of the areas where this tension is most evident. Laws guarantee that every person can believe, worship, or even follow no faith at all. Yet sometimes, in the name of that freedom, some groups try to impose their beliefs on everyone else. Conversely, there are those who ridicule or dismiss the faith of others, thinking that this too is an exercise of freedom. True religious freedom neither imposes nor ridicules; it respects.

Here a delicate point emerges: there are also minorities who rightly demand the equal rights that have always belonged to them. But sometimes, in that claim, the mistake is made of thinking that having freedom means everyone else must accept and applaud without dialogue or difference. The freedom of a minority cannot become the gag of the majority, just as the freedom of the majority cannot crush the minority. Freedom is sustained only when balance and mutual respect exist.

The same applies to the general public. Sometimes, under the argument of “I am free,” people justify behaviors that harm others: from spreading hatred on social media to ignoring basic rules of coexistence. In such cases, freedom ceases to be freedom and becomes whim. And a whim that tramples others is not freedom it’s selfishness.

That is why it is so true that freedom arises from the law: because laws set the limits that protect everyone, preventing one person’s freedom from becoming another’s slavery. And it is also true that freedom is doing in peace what must be done: only when we use our freedoms with respect and responsibility can we live together without destroying each other.

Freedom is not a lawless playground nor a license to impose. It is a space protected by laws and nourished by a heart that knows how to live in peace. In this way, the freedoms of speech, press, thought, and religion cease to be weapons and become bridges. And in the end, that is the freedom that truly matters: the freedom that makes us all equal, that respects differences, and that helps us live with purpose.