ABSTRACT
Freedom, in contrast to independence, is defined without reference to the concept of need. It refers, rather, to a condition of the will, and more precisely, to a particular relation between the will and the world. The meaning of freedom is captured in a rough way by Rousseau's characterization of the free being as "one who does his own will". Rousseau's view of dependence as the source of subjection suggests one obvious response to his central question concerning the conditions under which freedom can be realized, namely, the perfect independence of all individuals. Rousseau's view of dependence as the source of subjection suggests one obvious response to his central question concerning the conditions under which freedom can be realized, namely, the perfect independence of all individuals. Because the freedom one enjoys on this scenario is independent of one's subjective relation to the principles that structure the social world, it could be termed a kind of "objective freedom."
