Liberty Forum 2009 – The Culture of Liberty
Liberty according to Lexicon means the right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing, or in other terms, consist on the right of each human being to form its own opinion and make personal choices. Many thinkers were beacons of light in the defense of freedom and a few gave their lives for it, but on the other side, there were many who distorted freedom and fought for its suppression.
The history of human thought is prolific about reflections on limits, extension. Nature and importance of freedom. From the cultural Western matrix (Greek-Roman world) to the contemporaneous societies, few themes raised so many theories and passions like human freedom. Are we faced to a self-evident truth that every man should be created equal and being so, has the right to freedom? Is he free of restraints and still is under oppression? Where are the limits of the human freedom? Is it possible for a man to make some choices and be deprived of other choices?
Those issues are as alive and relevant as they were at the time of Aristotle, Rousseau or Jefferson, therefore it is essential to debate in order to improve the cultural and philosophic aspects of every society. More than that, it is a contract that surpasses the limits of the academic and theoretical environments, having unarguable relevance in the life of each human being, either in relation with ethics, labour, economics, politics or opinion.
With this rationale, the XXII Liberty Forum proposes the main theme above: “ The Culture of Liberty”, convinced that a plural and sincere debate about the issue will incentive culture and bring relevant results for our society.
