Free to Choose: A Personal Statement | Themes

Free to Choose: A Personal Statement Themes

Human Freedom

Human freedom is one of the prevailing themes of the book. Individuals must be free to make their own decisions and choices without any form of coercion. This is true in economics and social decisions. Human freedom is also dependent on the prevailing political system. The United States and Great Britain developed on the basis of capitalism with its emphasis on free markets and economic and personal freedoms. Other nations did not. Nations such as the former Soviet Union did not allow these personal or economic freedoms because of the politics of the situation. The fact that the political situation did not allow for individual freedom, combined with a non-market based economy resulted in a different path of development for the economy. The lack of human freedom means the lack of choice. Human freedom also has to do with the role of incentives. People make their own choices based on...
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