Listen to this articlezìyóu 自由
Acting Freely / Freedom
本义是由自己做主，依从自己的想法、意志、愿望行事，不受外来限制和约束。在古代中国，儒道都向往内心与生命不受拘系的自由。近代以来，它用作liberty和freedom的译词。作为专有名词，其含义主要有二：其一，指法律所规定并保护的国民享有其意志、行为不受干涉的权利，如言论、集会、宗教信仰等方面的自由；其二，哲学上指人对必然性的认识和对客观世界的改造的自由。它是建立在对自然、社会规律深刻把握的基础上，以人的全面发展为目的的自由，被认为是构建美好社会的核心价值之一。
The term means acting on one’s own free will without being subject to external restrictions. In ancient China, both Confucians and Daoists longed for freedom both of the mind and in their lives. In modern times, this term has become the Chinese word for “liberty” and “freedom.” As a technical term, it has two meanings. One is citizens’ statutory and law-protected rights not to be interfered in their will and actions, such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religious belief. The other, philosophically, refers to freedom of people’s understanding of necessity and their transformation of the objective world. Based on a profound understanding of the principles governing the nature and society and aiming to ensure individuals to achieve well-rounded development, freedom is considered one of the core values conducive to a good society.
引例 Citation：
◎外物尽已外，闲游且自由。（齐己《匡山寓居栖公》）
（一切皆为身外之物，四方游历身心自由。）
Realizing that all things are all external, I wander at leisure and freely follow my own inclinations. (Qi Ji: In Memory of a Recluse During My Residence on Mount Lu )
