Freedom and Authenticity in College Education?

Whenever I hear the word freedom, the first thing that comes into my mind is being freed from all barriers of a person’s happiness. So as authenticity, I perceived this word as something related to freedom but just that it’s more profound because for me it represents the true “You.”
Therefore, when one person is free, he/she has the chance to be authentic because freedom leads to authenticity.
But many are arguing if freedom and authenticity really exist or they are just part of our illusion. Acccording to a Philosopher, Freedom is our ability to choose, to decide and to direct our life in a way that suits us. Authenticity on the other hand is our being true to our self and our ability to truly live our own life and working with it with a clear purpose.
With these clear definitions, the question now arises; How is Freedom and Authenticity Achieved in College Education?
In our present situation with a lot of pressures and existing competition, college education seems to be a vital and the most important part of life. Many are saying that college life is already a mere picture of what your future will be. Therefore, it is obvious that college education today is the diploma and the transcript of records. These two are the main reasons why we go to college and finish a course. In this very competitive world, these two are very important.
If this is so, then is there a chance for us to achieve freedom and authenticity in our college education given the fact that we are already determined by our diploma and grades? For me, definitely YES! But the question is how?
For me, it starts with questioning one’s self; What am I here for? What is my intention in going here? Is this the way I really want my college life to be? If you could answer these questions, then basically you’re on your way to freedom and authenticity.
What am I here for? This question is very basic. Well, definitely we would answer it easily with; to graduate! Yes, but what I mean here is your purpose. If you are in school not just for diploma or grades but for the sake of learning and growing your self to become what you want to be, then I presume that you’re going to the next level leading to freedom and authenticity. What I mean with this is that if I go to school, it is my own will and for my own growth and not that I go to school just for this (grades and diploma), because everybody says so. It is your own drive towards learning and not the conventional reasons of because according to them…and so on.
What is my intention in going here? This question is closely related to the first question. Knowing your intention is very important. Many students fail because they did not decide their own intention but their parents, family and their environment. Knowing your intention in college education is one way to achieve freedom and authenticity because with “your own” intention, you know where this road you take is leading you and only you can determine it and nobody else.
Is this the way I really want my college life to be? This question for me is the most important in achieving freedom and authenticity. In the first part of this paper I said that it is our perception that we are in school just for diploma and grades. Therefore, our freedom and authenticity are deprived. Knowing what you really want your college life to be is simply saying that I have my own will and liberty on how I am going to handle my life and that no one can ever dictate or tell me what and how to do. I have my self, and I know that I am the only to tell who and what I am going to be.
With these things I share, I can say that more or less we can achieve freedom and authenticity in college education.

"The Bush Doctrine"

The September 11 terrorist attack of the World Trade Center in New York, USA placed the world into confusion and anxiety. It marked a great turning point to US’s power, influence and hold on all nations in the world and bequeathed a big question especially to the US as superpower, on the capabilities of terrorists to harass and place the world in catastrophe and danger.
With this happening, President George W. Bush issued a very striking and controversial new foreign policy of the US called the “Bush Doctrine.” Its initial formulation is that there is no distinction between terrorists and those who harbor them. Thus the immediate use of it was the war waged by the US in Afghanistan as being suspected harboring Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida terrorists who are “responsible” of the attack in the WTC. [But its broader formulation is the new role of the US as a collaborative power. Unlike the initial “harboring terrorists” formulation, which clarified rather than altered long-standing US policy, the new statements marked a major shift in US foreign policy.]
The important points of the Bush Doctrine may be summarized as Preemption, Unilateralism and Extending Democracy, Liberty and Security to all Regions. Preemption, since it is a policy of “preemptive war,” that the US and its allies should conduct to those terrorists and rogue states that are engaged in the production of WMD. It is unilateralism, since it stresses the right of the US to pursue unilateral military action when acceptable multi-lateral solutions cannot be found. And it is Extending democracy since it is a policy promoting democracy and freedom in all regions of the world
With these key points of the Bush doctrine, it highlighted that US and US alone, should be the superpower in the world, and that no international organizations can hinder or even stop her on her undertakings and actions towards a particular goal. In a way we might say that this policy of the US is selfish and arrogant. But looking on its real context, personally I believe that US is justifiable. As sole superpower of the world, and as the major target of terrorists and radical organizations, US has the responsibility to taking care of its people and territory and all the other countries who believe in the spirit of democracy and liberty. This policy maybe dogmatic in nature but this is what the world needs today. US somehow violated treaties and agreements, but she is just doing her duty to protect, preserve and nourish the lives of its every citizen and the citizens of the world which is more important and essential.