What is Freedom? Part II.

The notion of freedom finds its origins in the foundational act of liberation recorded in the Book of Exodus: “Let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me in the desert” (Exodus 8:20, Douay-Rheims). This proclamation of God relayed by Moses to Pharaoh reveals the essence of freedom in the Catholic tradition—not merely the absence of oppression, but the ordering of human lives toward the worship of God and adherence to His law. This understanding has echoed through centuries of thought, influencing both Catholic theology and the philosophical and political foundations of modern liberty.

Freedom and Natural Law in Scripture and Philosophy

The liberation of the Israelites serves as a paradigm for all human freedom: liberation from sin and subjugation for the purpose of serving God. Central to this vision is the concept of Natural Law, a law written into creation by God, which reflects His eternal wisdom and governs human behavior. St. Paul affirms this when he writes: “For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law… they show the work of the law written in their hearts” (Romans 2:14-15, Douay-Rheims).

The idea of Natural Law was discussed philosophically by Cicero, who argued that it is a universal and immutable law, discovered through reason:

“True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting; it summons to duty by its commands, and averts from wrongdoing by its prohibitions.”

For Cicero, the Natural Law was a reflection of the divine order, binding all men and forming the foundation for just governance.

St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on Freedom

St. Augustine builds on this foundation by identifying true freedom with the soul’s alignment to God:

“Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.”

Freedom, for Augustine, is not license but the capacity to choose the good, enabled by grace and ordered to God’s eternal law.

St. Thomas Aquinas further refines this vision in his Summa Theologica. He defines freedom as the ability to act in accordance with reason and the Natural Law. For Aquinas, true liberty is found in the pursuit of virtue and alignment with the divine will:

“Law is nothing else than an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community, and promulgated.”

Thus, human laws must conform to the higher law of God to be legitimate, a principle that would deeply influence later thinkers.

The Catholic Influence on Modern Political Philosophy

The Catholic understanding of freedom as rooted in Natural Law and ordered toward the common good found resonance in the works of early modern political philosophers such as John Locke and Montesquieu. Locke, while not Catholic, adopted the Natural Law framework, asserting that all men are created equal and possess rights to life, liberty, and property as gifts from the Creator. Montesquieu, in his Spirit of the Laws, emphasized the necessity of laws that reflect the natural order and promote justice, echoing Aquinas’s vision of governance for the common good.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

This philosophical lineage culminates in the American founding documents, which are deeply influenced by both Catholic and classical traditions. Thomas Jefferson’s assertion in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” reflects a synthesis of Natural Law and Enlightenment thought. The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness echo Aquinas’s principles of justice and the common good.

John Adams, a key architect of the American Republic, acknowledged the necessity of virtue and morality for the survival of liberty, stating:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

This perspective aligns with the Catholic teaching that freedom requires virtue and self-governance.

The Catholic Vision of Freedom in Practice

The U.S. Constitution embodies a commitment to ordered liberty, protecting individual rights while establishing a framework for the common good. This mirrors the Catholic balance between personal freedom and social responsibility. By enshrining principles such as the rule of law, separation of powers, and protection of religious liberty, the Constitution reflects a vision of freedom that is not anarchic but ordered—a harmony between individual rights and the common good.

The Catholic vision of freedom, rooted in the liberation of the Israelites, finds its fullest expression in the harmonization of divine law, Natural Law, and human governance. This vision has profoundly shaped Western thought, culminating in the political philosophy of the American founders. Freedom, in the Catholic sense, is not merely the absence of constraint but the capacity to live in truth and justice, ordered toward God and the good of all. As the Psalmist declares:

“I will walk at liberty: for I have sought thy commandments” (Psalm 118:45, Douay-Rheims).

This enduring understanding calls us to recognize freedom not as an end in itself but as the means to live in accordance with the truth, serving both God and neighbor.