Economic freedom

The concept of freedom was historically viewed from different points of view. Everyone remembers that there is an understanding of freedom as anarchy, or, on the contrary, as a conscious necessity. Freedom of choice implies the existence of alternatives. A free state is associated with pluralism and democracy. What is economic freedom?

This concept assumes that a person has the right to decide independently which activities to choose, whether to work for hire or to engage in business. In addition, we can freely choose goods, give preference to this or that manufacturer.

Economic freedom in a market economy means that an entrepreneur can choose in which sphere to realize himself, where, in what kind and amount, to conduct activities aimed at the production or sale of goods or services and making a profit.

Economic freedom in the modern understanding historically developed long and very difficult. It can be said that in world history this concept was formed between two extremes: complete personal freedom and great economic risk, on the one hand, and the dependence of man on external factors and the priority of economic security, on the other.

At the moment, economic freedom is balancing on the fine line between tight market control on the part of the state and "anarchy" in the field of entrepreneurship. The latter phenomenon could be observed in the 90s of the last century. Now the main principle of regulating economic relations is to maintain this balance, avoiding infringement of human rights, and at the same time to exercise a clear regulation of these rights through the law.

This is necessary to ensure that society does not fall into the abyss of relations in which only power is ruled, but each person would have the freedom to choose the directions of his activity and self-realization.

The modern economy of most countries does not need a directive management, however, there are mechanisms for state regulation of the market in those situations where it is necessary to accelerate its development.

It can be said that economic freedom exists only for socially responsible individuals. Selfish human needs should be limited to the need to balance their rights and their activities with the interests of others and the society as a whole. Only if a person understands and accepts this, he can become a full-fledged participant in economic relations.

Thanks to this duality, society develops, and its stability is maintained. We can say that economic freedom and social responsibility are inseparable concepts.

At the moment, social responsibility is understood not only as a consideration of the needs of other people and their economic interests. This concept extends to the natural environment, which is a source of raw materials, and as a result, profit.

Over the past few years, irrational use of resources has led to a sharp deterioration in the quality of the environment. For a long time, entrepreneurs were considered to be people who would stop at nothing to profit, and the concept of "ecology" is an empty sound for them.

However, at present, there is a serious need to change the forms of social responsibility regarding the use of natural resources. Unfortunately, in our country the level of understanding of the consequences of uncontrolled exploitation of sources of raw materials is still very low.

So, economic freedom is possible only in a society where there is a developed social responsibility, which includes not only the observance of the economic interests of other people, but also care for nature, which is the source of raw materials and the basis for the development of the economy of any country.