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I think it is clear that an organism of level 3 has a far greater ability to survive than those of lower levels, and by definition, organisms of any kind have a greater survival capacity than inanimate systems. We frequently apply the terms “free” and “freedom” (and exclusively apply “free will”) to ourselves on level 3, sometimes apply these terms to organisms on level 2, and only in a very restricted sense to level 1or to inanimate objects. This parallel is not coincidental. When we apply the term “freedom” to inanimate matter, what we assert is the absence of some (or any) kind of external constraint or interference. (Physicists speak of “degrees of freedom” of molecular vibration or the “mean free path” of a gas molecule). If we apply this same meaning of freedom to living systems, the meaning is considerably richer, since living systems have purposive self-regulatory systems that act as inner determinants, and “absence of constraint” becomes “ability to actualize goals and purposes.” Since at least some of an organism's behavior is largely governed by inner determinants and not by environmental determinants, it is meaningful to say that an organism is more free than an inanimate object. Those living systems that are more complex and adaptable are better able to exploit a given situation in order to actualize their goals, and it is meaningful to say that such an organism is more free than a less adaptable one.
The definition of freedom that emerges from this examination of living systems is that Freedom is the ability of an organism to actualize the goals and purposes determined by, and inherent in, its structure. Freedom is self-determination—not a violation of lawful behavior, but a type of it. Kaplan (1964) makes a similar statement: “A free choice is not uncaused, but one whose causes include in significant measure the aspirations and knowledge of the man who is choosing.” This freedom is based upon our ability to maintain and actualize ourselves through lawful deterministic mechanisms and the ability of these mechanisms to exploit the lawfulness and regularity of our surroundings to our advantage. Compared to some of the claims of “free will,” this is a limited freedom indeed, yet even this minimal freedom is absolutely dependent upon determinism, and no additional freedom is implied or suggested by the study of living systems.
There are many aspects and meanings of freedom, and there will be many objections to this definition of freedom. Each will be discussed in turn and tested for congruence with the definition that I have given above. Despite its apparent simplicity it is able to integrate most, if not all, of the meanings of freedom and resolve the objections to it.
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