Freedom and autonomy are two vital concepts of morality and ethics which are central to human nature and existence, though often misconstrued one for the other, the disparity between these two concepts is worth noting. Freedom is the state of being free to act or make informed decision without coercion, while autonomy is the capacity to live independently void of manipulation. Freedom and autonomy are entwined, and not one is mutually exclusive of the other; freedom relates to deeds or acts, while autonomy relates to condition of a person; the quest for freedom and autonomy suggests that individuals seeks to be in control of their own lives. Freedom affects self- identity and dignity of individuals, the …show more content…
574), suffice to reiterate that a free life is a life of dignity.
The quest for freedom was the objective of Martin Luther King Jr’s speech over five decades ago; the speech brought to limelight the prolonged slavery among the black people and the progressive awareness of a sense of guilt among the white people. King aroused the American populace with his momentous and impactful ‘I have a dream’ speech, with which he necessitated the need for racial justice and a non-segregated society which invoked not only the black community, but this great nation. The pivotal message of the speech was that all people irrespective of their skin color are created equal; a situation which eluded the country at that time, which was what he passionately contended against. The speech disclosed the ordeal of racial injustice for which he argued, it presents an integrate passage thrusted around freedom “let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York……” (TML p. 579). King envisioned a country where individuals would be treated by the “content of their character” rather …show more content…
576), because freedom is part of our moral duty to one another as citizens, doing otherwise will cause the African American community to continue its protest until justice is procured, and that prolonging the civil unrest would be harmful for the nation. King affirmed thus, “it would be fatal for our nation to overlook the urgency of the moment” (TML p. 577). Hill believes that individual freedom is crucial for everyone, but we must be careful that our freedom do not infringe on that of others, he said “failure to fulfill one’s duty to oneself, then renders a person liable to violate duties to others” (TML p.