Who Among Three: Recreating the Freeman

By Chidi J. Anaenye

What is Freedom? The chants of the ageless hymn sung to the rhyme of clattering chains. The steps of the iron-clad feet on the road march to the blacksmith shop. The beats of the apprehensive heart on the verge of emission or release. Freedom is the path not the destination.
All men were created free to one purpose: to love. Love is built on the fundamental virtue of obedience. Obedience is a call to worship by participation in the divine creative work for the purpose of fruitfulness. If free works is the path, then it must lead to fruitfulness. And if fruitfulness abounds the destination then obvious is the reward of nourishment and Survival – a most fundamental need. Therefore, Freedom is the means not the end to satisfaction or fulfillment of needs.
What happens then when Freedom is considered the destination or the end in itself? When you possess that which you long for, when you glow with physical satisfaction and emotional well-being, what next do you do for yourself? Then you would realize that your journey to happiness has just begun and your supposed destination was just the starting point. Thence, there could be a turnaround of ideas or innovations that contradict the original concept; a loss of focus or realization of folly.
All men were born naked and free from all entanglements of life. And for all, the choice was mostly between the needs of Survival and Dignity: to remain free or become enslaved. Yet the ones who hide to cover their nakedness in cloth of Dignity and demand for Freedom would be the very ones who sought to uncover themselves in expression of the same Freedom. What contrast! The nascent culture of nudity would depict the graduation to nakedness; a return to the original state at birth or the Garden of Creation. What then is Freedom?
Freedom had remained the central theme of the centurial march for civilization. Despite being the keyword in the literary research for emancipation, the true meaning of Freedom seemed to be lost both in the scroll and soul of activism. There is retrogression in geometric proportion between its original context and modern application. The lot of Freedom has been clearly prescribed in a generation that had continually condemned its very personality to the accused box. Put succinctly, Freedom is on trial.
In defense of Freedom, the need is most imperative for either a reinstatement of the primordial expressions of the Creator or an outright redefinition in consideration of modernism. The contest could be between virtue and rationality. Thence, a voyage through the realm of true knowledge, for the author would demand sailing with the two wings of Revelation and Science. On board this ship, attempt would be made to recreate the freeman with the imaginative will; by arousing him in an arena of utmost need and absolute freedom.
Then, his prime attributes would be deducted by the relative analysis of his choices. In addition, his personality would be determined by the utilization of his tools; and his salvation professed by the propagation of his ministries. A word for the reader though: Fasten your seat belt. Free your mind. And prepare for a journey to self-renewal.
WHO AMONG THREE is the third of a twelve - volume book series on the theme of Freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chidi J. Anaenye
• Release date: Dec 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370926374

Chidi J. Anaenye

Chidi J. Anaenye is a Biochemist, Clinical Psychologist and Creative Writer.

Book preview

CONTENTS

THEME DESCRIPTION

SUBTHEMES

[I].FOOD. CLOTH. SHELTER

(1)  AVAILABILITY OF CHOICE

(2)  DURABILITY OF CHOICE

(3)  RESPONSIBILITY OF CHOICE

[II].TIME. TALENT. TREASURE 

[III].PROPHECY. KINGSHIP. PRIESTHOOD

THE CUP

THE CROSS

THE SCAR

(i)  EDIFICATION – SCAR OF THE SONS

(ii)  IMMOLATION – SCAR OF THE OUTCASTS

(iii)  ILLUMINATION – SCAR OF THE KINGS

(iv)REVELATION – SCAR OF THE PROPHETS

(iv)  CONTRADICTION – SCAR OF THE PRIESTS

[IV].CAPITALIST. CRITIC. COMMON MAN

THEME DESCRIPTION

What is Freedom? The chants of the ageless hymn sung to the rhyme of clattering chains. The steps of the iron-clad feet on the road march to the blacksmith shop. The beats of the apprehensive heart on the verge of emission or release. Freedom is the path not the destination.

All men were created free to one purpose: to love. Love is built on the fundamental virtue of obedience. Obedience is a call to worship by participation in the divine creative work for the purpose of fruitfulness. If free works is the path, then it must lead to fruitfulness. And if fruitfulness abounds the destination then obvious is the reward of nourishment and Survival – a most fundamental need. Therefore, Freedom is the means not the end to satisfaction or fulfillment of needs.

What happens then when Freedom is considered the destination or the end in itself? When you possess that which you long for, when you glow with physical satisfaction and emotional well-being, what next do you do for yourself? Then you would realize that your journey to happiness has just begun and your supposed destination was just the starting point. Thence, there could be a turnaround of ideas or innovations that contradict the original concept; a loss of focus or realization of folly.

All men were born naked and free from all entanglements of life. And for all, the choice was mostly between the needs of Survival and Dignity: to remain free or become enslaved. Yet the ones who hide to cover their nakedness in cloth of Dignity and demand for Freedom would be the very ones who sought to uncover themselves in expression of the same Freedom. What contrast! The nascent culture of nudity would depict the graduation to nakedness; a return to the original state at birth or the Garden of Creation. What then is Freedom?

Freedom had remained the central theme of the centurial march for civilization. Despite being the keyword in the literary research for emancipation, the true meaning of Freedom seemed to be lost both in the scroll and soul of activism. There is retrogression in geometric proportion between its original context and modern application. The lot of Freedom has been clearly prescribed in a generation that had continually condemned its very personality to the accused box. Put succinctly, Freedom is on trial.

In defense of Freedom, the need is most imperative for either a reinstatement of the primordial expressions of the Creator or an outright redefinition in consideration of modernism. The contest could be between virtue and rationality. Thence, a voyage through the realm of true knowledge, for the author would demand sailing with the two wings of Revelation and Science. On board this ship, attempt would be made to recreate the freeman with the imaginative will; by arousing him in an arena of utmost need and absolute freedom.

Then, his prime attributes would be deducted by the relative analysis of his choices. In addition, his personality would be determined by the utilization of his tools; and his salvation professed by the propagation of his ministries. A word for the reader though: Fasten your seat belt. Free your mind. And prepare for a journey to self-renewal.

WHO AMONG THREE is the third of a twelve - volume book series on the theme of Freedom.

I

FOOD. CLOTH. SHELTER

Aman has three needs fundamentally: to feed (Survival), to dress (Dignity) and to reside (Refuge). The nourishment of the human body is necessary for life to thrive. In the absence of essential substrates, the cellular metabolism slows down, energy production decreases and the attendant starvation state is ultimately succeeded by death of the cells. Therefore, the desire to eat is essential for survival. Apart from the comfort offered by the cloth, the man is also in need of the preservation of his dignity.

Nakedness is perceived as out rightly undignified. Knowledge is like the cloth that covers the bare skin of ignorance. In learning is ignorance defied. In character is dignity restored. Learning without character is like constructing an explosive device without the control lid or timer. Thus, character and learning are the two halves of an educated mind. Improperly channeled or misdirected knowledge had proven to be disastrous. The desire is not just that of knowledge but virtues. The need is not just that of cloth but dignity. Thence would the man become that which he wears. And the cloth can define the man.

A style of dressing may create a relative impression or perception of the individual. The need for cloth goes beyond the comfort it offers. It creates an avenue for the exercise of free choice by the individual and display of individual taste and innate trait. However, stipulation of a code of dressing could be reflective of the virtues of obedience and suggestive of the need for dignity and discipline. It should not be seen as the denouncement of freedom to express one’s choice of personal wears and comfort. When a man finds a shelter, he seeks for a place of rest from work and source of refuge from adversity.

What is home but where a man may derive nourishment for his body, comfort for his mind and refuge for his soul? It is a place where one could find satisfaction, dignity and protection. A man’s home is reflective of his needs. In a true home must be found all that the man needs. A house may provide just the shelter. A home offers satisfaction of all three fundamental needs: survival, dignity and refuge. Freedom is defined by choices.

To determine the core attributes of freedom, an analogy could be drawn, with consideration of the most objective or common choice that could be made by an individual, under the assumption of utmost need and absolute freedom to choose. The analogy may be referred to as: The Naked Choice.

Imagine falling asleep and having the worst conceivably nightmare, in which you apparently awoke while still in your dreams and found yourself in an unknown, indecipherable and utterly illusive planet. You are not just the only human being in sight but also the only visible and stationary object or even matter; except for the soil upon which you stood and the clouds above your head. And then you realized that you are stark naked. In addition, the hunger pangs reminded you of an empty stomach; its frequency increasing with the intense heat. Hence, you wished for a covering of any sort. Then in an instant your vision was dimmed by a flash of light, and then it was cleared. And behold right in front of you were three identifiable objects: a bowl of porridge, a roll of cloth and a little hut.

Which among the three would be your most preferred choice? Which of them is to be placed highest above the others in a scale of need? Which could be regarded as the most essential to life; of its sustenance, preservation and comfort? Which would the freest man choose at the zenith of his need, want or desire? Which would be the choice that denotes zero hindrance and least fear? Which is most expressive of love? What is the personality of freedom? What are the attributes of free choice?

For the psychoanalytical determination of the prime characteristics of free choice, three invariable factors or constants must be established namely:

(1)  Availability of Choice

(2)  Durability of Choice

(3)  Responsibility of Choice.

Let’s take them on.

(1)  Availability of Choice

IT IS VAIN AND FOOLHARDY to attempt to choose if no option was given. Let’s say an academic quiz that required subjective answers wouldn’t be scored in a multiple-choice format. If there were no option or choice answer enumerated in the scheme of grade, then there would be nil probability of any being scored. Thus, the choices if available must be introduced and clearly defined. However, choices could be nullified on the basis of negligibility or redundancy or outright inexistency.

The possibility of choices must be considered before they are made. When choices are made with their existence unproven and feasibility undetermined, it could amount to diagnostic delusion and empirical fallacy. However, there could be definitive need or imperativeness for opportunities that must be created for certain choices to be born, literally.

To be ‘born’ then would refer to the natural as the foundational base. That is to say, when there are no options, a free man can still create his own opportunities for expression of self, while maintaining the natural order. However, the limit for creativity must be set, for that which enacts the abnormal or unnatural betrays the very essence of freedom. That which is to be created must not be used as tool of destruction. All conceivable ideas are dependent on the capacity of acts within nature for them to be brought to fruition. Violating the boundaries of nature denounces the originality of ideologies, principles, beliefs, practices or concepts. Thus, Originality is the first of the prime attributes of freedom.

Nothing is real that has no origin. Nothing is utterly new in existence. Beyond every product of creativity, there is a starting form which predates the nascent form. In the biological model of cellular synthesis, there would be no transcription in the absence of the starting template. The sequence of nucleic bases in the new strand is complimentary to that in the original strand. Thence the ultimate product would bear a resemblance or reflection of the original source. Furthermore, the cell is the fundamental unit of the living system. It comprises a free zone, yet possess a restrictive membrane. Its activities are prescribed by a physiological order. In the event of a functional violation or genetic misinformation, there would be impairment of normal cellular activity leading to a benign or gross disorder. The affected cells may engage in random and excessive multiplication as they attempt to aggressively break down the boundaries or restrictions established by nature. The cells could be said to be malfunctioning or diseased. They could be perceived to have betrayed the integrity of the living tissue, and subsequent organ failure could lead to systemic collapse and ultimately death.

And yet the cells would insist on their morbid expression of mobility and unlimited activity within and outside their free zone. This biological model demonstrated the correlation of Originality and Freedom, in relation to cellular metabolism and physiology or pathophysiology. Thus, it prescribes to Originality as a significant and necessary attribute of freedom; for the maintenance of natural order. Hence, for the sustenance of life and survival of the species, freedom must be considered in terms of the natural not unnatural. Freedom must be regarded as a fundamental virtue not vice; a necessity not luxury. It must be inferred more on the grounds of normality than abnormality.

Now, on The Naked Choice analogy, let’s assume that all three distinct objects – bowl of porridge, roll of cloth and little hut – were introduced and established as choices. That is, they are available, probable and mutually inclusive. When asked to select the options in an inclusive order, the freest man though stark naked would first take the food. Then he would take the cloth and proceed to the shelter. He would eat and then dress in the comfort of the shade. On the other hand, the three choices could be declared available, probable but mutually exclusive. That is, only one choice out of the three could be made at a given time.

Then the freest man would first choose the food. He could then prefer seeking refuge in the shelter to putting on the cloth for his dignity. And assuming a dualistic availability of choices, that is to say a maximum of two choices could be made at a given time. The freest man first choice pair could be food and then shelter, while the second choice pair could be food and then cloth. To state therefore, Survival is the foremost motivation of the freeman. Conversely, the slave craves for his dignity.

Survival is the utmost need of the man whose liberty is irrefutable and assured. But, for the slave, survival would be less instinctive, for even death could be more appealing if there was an assurance of dignity and honor at the afterlife. Hence, the one who desperately craves to cover his nakedness could be responding to the sudden realization of his enslavement and not in any way acknowledging his freedom.

In deduction, Freedom must be Original. That is, it must be natural, creative and definitive with well-established facts, circumscribed boundaries, historical precedents, cultural heritages and biological perspectives.

(2)  Durability of Choice

FOR CHOICE TO BE WORTH making, it must be sustainable over a specified time. It must be assured and fully guaranteed. That is to say, the choice must be constant for it to be logical. For instance, the instructions of the examiner could read: ‘Answer all questions in the first section and select three questions in the second section.’ With zero likelihood of alteration or correction of the instructions, a constancy is established and a choice can be made. In the absence of such instruction or assurance of its constancy, a choice cannot be made. However, a guess could be instigated, as a likely alternative. Yet, an alternative can only be a choice when its constancy is established, otherwise it simply amounts to a gamble.

The act of gamble or trading on uncertainty is the converse or relative reversal of the virtue of free choice. Freedom is definitive of choice. And if free choice is the virtue, then gamble is the vice. However, the rationality for gamble could be buttressed or enacted by reference to legality. But so was the institutionalization of slavery – it was legalized by the state and later abolished.

Legality can be referential but must never be the determinant or rationale for free choice. The freeman does not gamble. His choices are well defined and established; and he selects the one that mostly prescribes his survival. In an assurance of survival, the gamble is diminished or nullified. A slave cannot boast of unlimited opportunities. What he could claim to be a choice is not established or definitive and thus neither distinct nor optional. And more often than not, the gamble isn’t just an option among others; it is the predisposed, overwhelming or sole option. It is a subservient or irresistible attraction or inclination. It is an addiction.

An addict is the slave of his own desires. He does not make a free choice; in reference to the object of desire. He simply goes for it. An instinct or reflex can be considered an accessory of free choice when associated with the virtuous act of discipline, work and obedience. Otherwise instinctive actions could be suggestive of addiction or slavery. For instance, in a soccer game, the goalkeeper stretches his hands to make a reflexive save, the fullback tracks back in awareness for defense of goal post, and the striker positions himself in readiness to shoot at the targeted goalpost. These actions could be reflections of their instinctive abilities, reflexive capacity and innate skills. Yet they invariably reflect the trainings, technical inputs and tactical discipline. Thus, the instinctive moves and shots could be considered or classified as acts of free choice. And the reflexes, compulsions and technicalities could be regarded as accessories of free choice.

However, the preference of direction or angle of deviation during a spot kick would be typical under the context, as that defines the individuality of the player and is most expressive of free choice. If life is a game of choice, then all players must be freemen. For only a slave is denied the right to choose. So, let the freeman play for his Survival, while the slave play for his Dignity. And let all creations witness the justification of the true choice.

Once upon a time, the playing field was a beautiful garden of freewill and opportunities, for all men. But while a few would humbly play for the most coveted prize – the survival of their own soul – by seeking the apple of graceful nourishment from their Creator, the others would hide in their shame imploring for, their dignity, cloth of leaves to cover their nakedness. But who told them they were naked? They were born naked to be lord and masters of their own flesh. They were born free from all entanglements, lures and distractions of life.  Who enslaved them, but their own desires?

Dignity is the bait of the slave gods. Slavery isn’t in the chains of subjugation but in the apron-strings of liberty. For when the chains are broken, the strings linger. What is liberty – the inscription on that medal hung around a man’s neck to satisfy his demand for free statues? Soon the man realized he was still lured or pulled on towards a predetermined destination by an invisible nay indoctrinated line of thought; which stretched from the tip of the medal to the hand of the neo-masters. Freedom isn’t won by the steel of armory nor the seal of pact but the scar of heart. When the war ends on the field, the real battle begins in the heart. The scars must ignite for the mind to be illuminated. Enlightenment is the path to freedom.

Now, from The Naked Choice analogy, the freest