B2UPPER-INTERMEDIATE

Freedom Conversation Questions

1. What does freedom mean to you? Which freedoms do you value most?
2. What are you not free to do? What would you like to have the freedom to do?
3. Do you feel freer now than when you were younger? Why or why not?
4. Are there any truly free people in the world today? If so, who? If not, why not?
5. Which groups of people in society enjoy the most freedom? Which enjoy the least?
6. What determines whether a country can be considered free or not?
7. How free would you say your country is? Do some people enjoy more freedoms than others?
8. In which countries do people enjoy the most freedom? In which do they enjoy the least? Why?
9. Do freedom and democracy mean the same thing? Can a country be democratic without being truly free?
10. Is individual freedom more important than what the group wants, such as the family or community? Why or why not?
11. Is it sometimes necessary to restrict freedom to increase security? Which is more important to you?
12. If people have their freedom unjustly taken away, what should they do? Is breaking the law ever justified to regain freedom?
13. Lord Acton argued that a good way to judge whether a country is truly free is to look at how its minorities are treated. Do you agree?
14. Philosopher John Stuart Mill argued that people's freedom should only be restricted to prevent them from harming others. Do you agree? Are there any exceptions?
15. Economist Milton Friedman argued that economic freedom is essential for personal freedom. Do you agree? Can economic freedom sometimes reduce other people's freedom?
16. How might increasing one person's freedom reduce another person's freedom? Can you think of any examples?
17. Do humans really have free will, or are our decisions ultimately determined by things beyond our control?
18. How much of our lives are controlled by outside influences, such as our family, education, social background and government? How does this affect how free we really are?
19. Does having more money make someone freer? Can a poor person ever be as free as a wealthy person?
20. Has freedom around the world increased or decreased during your lifetime? Do you think people will be freer in the future?