Question

Most of these animals were perfectly free to come and go as they pleased. Which animals are being referred to? Why is this freedom important? ​

Answer 1

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•At the most basic level, we have to question what one means by “want,” as in “do what you want.” Joe Schmo may want to do something because he’s aware of the consequences of not doing it. He may wish he could go golfing or lie on the beach Monday morning instead of going to work, but he wants to go to work because work means paychecks and paychecks mean food and a warm house to live in. We have many wants for many reasons, some preferable to others, but basically, we almost always do what we want (other than maybe screaming when our car has gone off a cliff, or lying in a hospital sick with cancer).

•Furthermore, Joe’s decision to go to work does imply freedom. His behavior Monday morning isn’t dictated by genes, instincts, or environmental stimuli. It’s his decision to go to work; he has the freedom to decide that.

•Now what about animal freedoms? Sure, they don’t have to go to school or work or do what their parents or spouses or employers tell them to do. A bird on the wing may seem freer than poor Joe Schmo as he trudges to the bus stop to get to work, but is it? Animal behavior is very driven by needs—do this or that, or you die or you never reproduce. They have to constantly be on the search for food; avoid becoming food for something else; look for a mate, build a nest, feed their young; escape or hunker down in bad weather; groom lice, fleas, and ticks from their feathers and fur; fly to South America because it’s going to be freezing cold in Minnesota pretty soon; fight each other for dominance, which means access to vital resources; and get enough rest to do it all over again the next day.

•All things considered, a wild animal’s life hardly strikes me as a carefree life of freedom. I don’t envy the other animals one bit. I enjoy my freedom too much.