"Man is free; Man is Freedom" - Jean-Paul Sartre
What makes Man a distinct being from others? There are many types of being. A tree is a type of being and so are dogs, cats, and even apples. Man is one type of being among many others in this world. While we haven’t really given much thought into it, we can confidently conclude that Man is somehow radically different from all the other beings. Something about Man makes him distinct — something that makes him greatly special. Man is not regarded as just one type of being among others — in the same way that the letter a is regarded as just one type of letter in the alphabet. There is something totally unique about us humans; something about our being that is completely distinct compared to that of others.
It is highly obvious that there are many types of beings or entities. They are all around us. Each of these entities or beings have something special about it, something that makes it the particular type of entity that it is. In metaphysics, this is called the entity’s nature or essence — its native or inherent qualities that make it what it is. Let us think of a tree. What can be said about its nature? Well, a tree is tall and it sways when the wind blows on it; it has leaves and a woody trunk. These characteristics and other qualities make up the nature of a tree or its essence — what it is for something to be a tree. A being that doesn’t have these attributes is not a tree. This notion applies to all beings. All these beings, including Man, have a distinct nature that make them the particular being that they are. However, I will not enumerate all the qualities that make Man what he is, but I will focus on one fundamental feature of Man that completely distinguishes him from the rest.
So what then makes Man unique among all other beings? What makes him not only unique but also exceptionable — the most special kind of being? That which makes Man what he is — at the most fundamental level — is none other than freedom. Freedom is the fundamental characteristic of the human being. It is surely the feature that makes us the exceptional creatures that we are. Consider: something that fails to be tall, to have leaves and a woody trunk, is not a tree. In like manner, a being that fails to have freedom, a being that is not free, is not Man. Man is the only being that can choose, the only being that has free will; Man is the only being that is free. He is the only being that can choose what he becomes, can choose how to live his life; therefore, freedom is the attribute that Man shares with no other being. Without freedom, Man would be no more special than a tree, dog, cat, or even an apple. Freedom is the most essential feature to us. Nothing, not even our rationality, is more important to us than our freedom.
