To Kantthe true freedom It is not about doing what you want without restrictions, but about acting in accordance with norms that you yourself recognize as legitimate.
From this perspective raised by the philosopherbeing free includes accepting and self-governing by rational limits.
This is because, according to his approach, authentic freedom is expressed when reason directs our actions, not when we allow ourselves to be carried away by impulses or momentary desires.
Kant and his understanding of freedom as self-determination
moral philosophy Kant’s theory revolves around the idea that freedom is not simply a permission to choose between options, but the ability to choose rationally and autonomously.
For him, only if we act according to principles that we could want for everyone are we being truly free. In other words, Kantian freedom is intrinsically connected with reason and with morality.
According to Kant, human freedom is expressed in the context of lto moral law. But it does not refer to laws imposed from outside—such as arbitrary commands from another person or an authority—but rather to laws that emerge from our own reason.
This is why your idea may make you uncomfortable: limits the conception of freedom understood as a simple absence of restrictions and replaces it with responsible freedom, based on practical rationality.
This approach leads us to a conclusion that many find counterintuitive: if our will is guided by reason and not by impulsesdesires or passions, then we are freer.
On the contrary, giving in to any impulse without reflection distances us from freedom, turning us into slaves to our momentary stimuli.
Freedom according to Kant: a guide to living and coexisting
From this perspective, the exercise of freedom is based on several pillars that help to understand how and why limits are part of being truly free:
- Rationed autonomyl: freedom implies acting in accordance with principles that our own reason can accept. It is not about obeying external rules, but about recognizing their rational value.
- Moral universality: our free actions must be consistent with maxims that can apply to everyone without contradiction. This is the Kantian moral law.
- Self-control: Controlling impulses and ephemeral desires allows reason to guide our decisions, strengthening freedom.
- Ethical responsibility: By freely choosing to follow a rational norm, we accept the consequences of our decisions, reinforcing our autonomy.
Kantian freedom versus modern freedom
The conception of freedom that predominated in recent decades – especially in social and political contexts – tends to emphasize the absence of limits as the maximum expression of freedom.
“Being free is doing what I want, when I want”is often heard in popular culture. However, for Kant, this superficial interpretation ignores a crucial aspect: if we act solely according to our whims, our behavior is not guided by rational principles, and therefore it is not true freedom.
Kant and the need to be compatible with the other
Kant redefines freedom in terms of self-determination. This implies that setting limits on our actions – for example, respecting the law, acting ethically or thinking about the consequences of our actions – is not a renunciation of freedom, but a mature expression of it.
In this light, a free society is not simply a society without restrictions, but one in which its individuals act guided by rational norms that could, ideally, be accepted by all.
Kantian freedom also challenges relativist notions that hold that each individual can establish their own rules with no more justification than personal desire. For Kant, this vision falls into a practical contradiction: if each person acted according to norms incompatible with those of others, coexistence would be impossible.
